Intermezzo
by The Narrator
Summary: [NEW CHAPTER!] Sometimes, I wish I was psychic, so I could know just what the hell is going on in men's heads. And sometimes, I'm glad I don't have that insight. But it doesn't matter WHY Kyo's agreed to help Hisui, so long as he does. Right?
1. Prelude

**Disclaimer: **_Samurai Deeper Kyo_ belongs to the worthy Akimine Kamijyo-san, who created it. The Narrator only uses it for the telling of a tale...

**Intermezzo: Prelude**

_'To choose sorrow...or whatever comes...'_ Winter wind worried his travel-torn mantle as he turned into it. He closed his eyes and bent his head, perhaps in prayer. _'Whatever her fate, I only hope she has the strength to meet it.'_

He had no further part to play in this tale. His footprints were erased even as he passed...

She had run blindly through the sudden storm, heedless of the cold, shrieking wind or the stinging of snow and ice on her unprotected skin. The leaden weight of dread, of what she would see when she finally stopped running, and the smallest warm flicker of hope were all that mattered now. Brave words had been spoken when her way had been barred; now that she was free to embrace her choice, did she truly have the courage?

The latter question would have preyed upon the mind of one more given to self-reflection. In her case, analytical introspection was tossed to the wayside as her heart quailed at the thought of being too late...

...but too late for what?

At the heart of the storm, the twin, conflicting _tachikaze_ blasted trees to mere splinters, throwing up clouds of settled snow that whirled about them in screaming vortexes of white.

It had come to this. Only one of them would continue to walk the mortal plane, while the other would have to content himself with whatever awaited him on the far side of oblivion.

With such weight on the scales, their smiles would have been somewhat surreal to a casual observer. But there were none. At least, not yet.

He raised his head slightly, his attention wavering fractionally from his opponent. "She is coming," he murmured, brief sadness and regret flickering in his kind eyes, "Let us finish before she sees this."

The other made no sign that he had heard. A mocking snarl twisted his lips as he took a step backward – not in retreat, but for the final attack.

_Now..._

She had reached the top of the slope after a seemingly-unending awkward scramble that had nearly pitched her on her face several times. The thinning forest had finally cleared and now she stood, completely unshielded against the elements. Anxious eyes scanned the near-featureless gray and swirling white expanse stretching out before her. She would have shouted their names into it, if she thought they would hear her. Instead, she listened, vainly trying to calm her thudding heart so she could detect that slightest sound that would tell her...

_There_. Right in front of her, as though layers of translucent curtains were being drawn aside: two dark silhouettes, frozen in eerie tableau. Her breath caught in her lungs, and her heart very nearly did stop as one of the figures (oh, so close as though she could reach out and touch him!) crumbled like a puppet cut from its strings.

The winds stilled abruptly, extinguished like a lantern.

"She is waiting for you," he had said, in the split second before his body was cleaved nearly in two. The other had not hesitated, but followed through with his killing stroke.

It was over. A lifetime of living unaware, of stumbling in the shadows, had been cut away by his sword. His past form lay behind him on the crimson-seeping snow, nothing more than a stiffening husk, now that the soul that had animated it had fled.

The way ahead was clear... and as blank as the snow that greeted his eyes.

_"She is waiting for you."_

He blinked, lowering his sword. This voice should have been stilled forever...

_"She is waiting for you."_

A snort of derision. No one was so foolish.

"She is here."

He whirled in disbelief, almost expecting his fallen self to be standing there, as he had been so many times before.

There was nothing, of course. The past was dead, left to him to bury. And then...

Her presence touched upon his awareness, familiar and soothing in a way he had always denied to himself. He tore his attention away from the corpse and regarded her with naked surprise on his face as she stepped toward him. Not fear, loathing, nor condemnation could he see or sense. Rather, she was smiling, gently, her eyes meeting his and holding them as she came ever nearer.

The steam of her exhaled breath billowed against his armored chest before she halted, having neither spoken nor released him from her gaze. To have her so close...the desire to take her in his arms, to claim her as he could freely do only now clashed with the impulse to thrust her away, for he could not bear to see her expression change, as it undoubtedly would, to hatred of him for what he had done.

Her small hand reached up, hesitated, and then her fingertips trailed with lightest touch over his left temple and down his cheek. A frown creased her brow and he almost flinched.

"Kyo..."

His movement backward was brought to a standstill as her other hand clasped his, almost making him drop his katana.

She drew her hand away from his face and showed him fingers stained red with his blood. "I have some medicine and bandages back at the house. Come on, let's go and get you cleaned up before this gets any worse."

He could have sworn he heard someone laughing, even as his arms swept her up in an embrace that almost knocked the wind out of her.

"Why?" he whispered into her snow-damp hair, scented with the memory of pine forests and wood-smoke.

"If you haven't figured _that_ out by now, you're more hopeless than I thought!" was her reply, tears sparking her eyes as she clung to him, the fear of losing him only just now slowly releasing its chill grip on her heart. The pain of loss and the pain of happiness despite it cut at her like a two-edged blade, but she tried to ignore it, wanting only that he not let her go, not yet...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

She hesitated before the shoji, debating the possible outcomes of her opening it. Kyo had sat in that room for two days now, as still and silent as a stone effigy...

After they had returned to the cold and empty Muramasa house, he had let her tend his wounds, which, though numerous, were not as serious as Yuya had expected. When the last bandage had been tied in place, Kyo, devoid of armor, got to his feet and went out into the snow. Yuya had followed him as far as the porch, when one look over his shoulder told her that this was one path she could not follow, no matter her willingness or his need.

It is a solemn and lonely task for any man to bury his past.

_'Kyoshiro is really gone...like Onii-sama. He won't be coming back.'_ Her hand, which had been about to rap on the shoji frame, stilled of its own accord. _'_He's_ the only one left to me now.'_ In her heart of hearts, Yuya knew there was still a lingering doubt: had she the strength to stand by him? And what of Kyo? Except for that one, endless, too-short span of time when he had embraced her in the death-calm of that snow-filled clearing, he had not since acknowledged her in any way that she could interpret as mutual feeling.

As a matter of fact, his total lack of response to _anything_ made her wonder if the great Onime no Kyo had finally snapped.

_'What if...?'_ Yuya grit her teeth and clenched her eyes shut, sagging forward as she rest her forehead against the black lacquer. She would rather face down a resurrected Junishinsho with the forces of Jigoku's sixteen Hells behind them than the answer to her feelings for one, single man.

"Argh..." This was insane. _'Since when did I become such a wuss?'_ That thought sparked an instant angry, reaction. Yuya straightened and glared at the shoji, as if it had been the source of the harsh assessment. She jerked it open without so much as a moment's hesitation and strode into the cold, twilit room.

Kyo had not moved of course. Only the barest trace of white fog from his mouth showed that he still indeed breathed. His sheathed Muramasa blade leant up against one shoulder, his back against the wall, his profile unmoving as she paced toward him...nothing had changed.

Only this time, Yuya was too harried and at the end of her rope to care _how _he reacted, as long as he did _something_.

"Kyo." She crouched down in front of him, trying to meet his gaze.

Garnet eyes, so familiarly blazing with fierce fire, were distant, unseeing. Before her was neither demonic warlord nor mindless, heartless murderer. Before her was a man who had finally seen Death face-to-face in a way that he could no longer disregard.

"Kyo..." The rebuke she had intended, the bravado she always counted on to manifest itself in battle, was not there. Her voice was soft, warm, a gentle call meant to reach him in whatever personal hell he descended to. Without thought, she reached for him...

The numbness had set in so gradually, he had not even noticed it until it had practically overwhelmed him. The digging of the grave, of hewing a hole in the frozen earth wide and deep enough to contain the body and protect (Protect? Why should he care if Kyoshiro's corpse was ravaged by carrion animals?) it from the elements, had exhausted him. Indeed, what should have been a simple task drained him more thoroughly than any of his battles. A small voice in the back of his mind, which of late had become louder as he sat there, kept asking, did he not envy Kyoshiro? Kyoshiro, his lesser half, who had taken the easy way out, had embraced Death...but it had been a death of his choosing. He was now in the land of Yomi, heedless of the matters of the living.

_And what was living, after all?_ the voice continued. For all of his short, unnatural life, Kyo had lived with the one goal of killing the man he had been created from, the infamous Mibu Kyoshiro, Slayer of a Thousand. He had defeated the strongest, had defeated _himself_. What, the voice prodded, did he have else to live _for_?

_Do you not, in the end, seek the same worthy death Kyoshiro found? You have reached your limit with his death. How long will you wait for yours?_

Kyo found it was hard to ignore the voice's logic, even as he instinctively rebelled against the implication he had no higher level to attain. The level he was at now, certainly, was a lonely one, seemingly infinitely removed from the rest of humanity. In his mind's eye, Kyo looked out across a vast, dark wasteland, littered by the dry husks of those he had slain, seeing nothing, feeling nothing...

_'_She_ is here.'_

Another voice, sudden, strong, certain, cutting through grey and numbness. Gently calling, a warm touch...

Kyo opened his eyes.

It was like seeing a lantern's wick flare to life. Yuya started slightly, her hand recoiling as Kyo suddenly shifted. He blinked and stared at her, as if seeing her for the first time. The familiar intensity of his gaze had returned as if it had never left, but now there was a tinge of bitterness there, too.

"Why are you here?" he asked her.

"Because..." Yuya looked at him helplessly. Did he truly not know or understand? Perhaps he would never be able to. "You were starting to worry me," she finally said, the taste of ash in her mouth as she bowed her head.

It was too painful to meet his eyes and see nothing there for her.

"You should never concern yourself for my sake," Kyo said lowly, watching her, memorizing every line, every detail of her in the wan, watery light of the moon streaming through the shoji.

Yuya felt another flare of hot anger at this. "I can worry about you if that's what I want to do, Onime no Kyo!" she declared, raising her face, beryl eyes flashing, "Who do you think you are, to dictate to me what me feelings are?!" He was so frustrating!

Moonlight suited her, but even more so, the sun. Her beauty was not of quiet serenity, but of warmth, of unhidden emotion, of a burning flame's purity, he decided. Best to wound her now, when the mark could easily fade away. "Why are you here?" he repeated, his customary harshness returning, "Your business with me is finished. You've found out what happened to your brother." Kyo sneered at the shock on her face, praying that he would not make a fatal error now.

'_Remain cruel, for her sake_,' he told himself. "I killed the bastard for you," he continued on in the same vein, "You should have left with Benitora and his groupies." Yes, she should have left with Tokugawa's son and heir..._he _could ensure she would be happy.

"But..." Yuya's confusion was nakedly apparent. No more than a child, this girl-woman who looked at him with hurt and bewilderment, the moonlight soft upon her like an ethereal, sacred glow.

Never should she be stained by his touch.

"Leave," he interrupted her brusquely, "Don't argue with me, little girl. Gather up your things and leave, and don't look back." She was not his, could never..._should _never be his; why did she not understand? In the end, she would only be destroyed by sorrow.

_'How could he? Is it so easily done, to order me away?'_ Yuya felt a stabbing pain in her heart; Kyo's face was set as stone, his garnet eyes reflecting the harsh mocking of his voice. "No," she answered, clenching her fists and glaring, "No. I made my choice and nothing you can do or say can turn me away. Kyo, can't you see that I..."

"And what if I said I can never love you?" Kyo interrupted her again. He was grabbing at straws now, flinging them at her in desperation. And this one, he saw, struck with the effectiveness of an arrow to her heart.

Yuya gasped and Kyo almost wavered, almost reached out for her, almost begged her not to have heard the words that had taken all his strength to say.

She felt the sting of tears in her eyes and willed them not to fall. "Is that it, then?" she asked, keeping her voice sure, steady, though she wanted no more than to scream and rail and run away, "You want me to leave...and never come back?"

"Yes. I don't need...I don't want..." Why was it so difficult to say this lie? Probably because he had never made a practice of it – lying was for the weak, after all. But now he wished he had the talent, so that he could at least save her. "You are not...important to me," he finally managed, and with that, he looked away, a deliberate gesture of dismissal.

_'He's lying.'_ The truth was as clear to Yuya as though she had been watching the scene between them as a disinterested party. Kyo had never..._could _never lie. That he had looked away was the most telling action. Yuya almost had to laugh; she had seen bad actors in her day, but Kyo was certainly the worst. _'And even now, he's stumbling about like a Noh actor who's dropped his mask and is trying to distract the audience with threatening gestures.'_

"Kyo, look at me," she said gently. _'You almost had me fooled. But now I know.'_

Kyo did not move.

Yuya sighed and shook her head, feeling as though she was dealing with a recalcitrant, stubborn child who was determined not to confess to wrongdoing. _'Too bad Kyo; you're about to meet your match.'_

Kyo heard Yuya get to her feet and steeled himself against the impulse to leap up and prevent her from leaving. The soft sound of cloth sliding over cloth, instead of the harsh gliding whisper of a shoji being opened, reached his ears, and he turned to look in spite of himself.

Yuya let her obi drop to the floor before she started working at the knot of her kimono tie, deliberately keeping all of her attention focused on it. At last it came free, and she shrugged the now-loose garment off her shoulders, sliding first her left arm, then her right from the voluminous sleeves. The kimono joined the obi at her feet.

Now clad only in her white juban and koshimaki, Yuya looked down at Kyo. He was staring at her in unconcealed surprise, and again Yuya had to suppress a laugh. The corners of her lips did quirk up slightly as she reached back slowly for her hair ribbon, Kyo's eyes following the path of her hands as though mesmerized. The silken strip of cloth came away with one fluid pull, and her hair fell about her shoulders in a soft, wheat-gold curtain.

Wordlessly, Yuya paced toward Kyo. It seemed that as long as she held his gaze, he could neither move nor look away. Since when had she had that power over him? Kyo started slightly as her hand reached out, her fingers gliding over his cheek, a gentle caress as she lowered herself to the floor in front of him. Kneeling, the hem of her koshimaki brushing over his legs, she leaned into him till he could feel as well as hear her breath. Her eyes still held his and he could do nothing to break free...not that he desired to.

"Kyo," Yuya whispered, her thumb lightly stroking over his cheekbone, "you are perhaps one of the most arrogant, insufferable men I've had the misfortune of meeting. But..." She leaned in and touched her lips to his, a butterfly wing's touch lasting only moments, "you are also one of the most honorable and honest. You suck at lying."

Kyo blinked. "What are you..." he growled. Yuya grinned triumphantly and smothered the rest of his words with a true kiss, sealing his lips with all the ardor she had up till then kept contained.

"I will not leave you, of my own free will," she said when she released him to take a breath, "Nothing you can say or do will...mnfph!"

Kyo was a firm believer in retribution, it seemed.

-------------------------------------------------------------

The white vapor of her breath billowed over his bare chest in the slow, steady rhythm of sleep. If he had been so inclined, he would have taken her to a warmer room of his late master's house. But that would risk waking her, and for now, he simply did not have the heart. To do so would destroy the first moment of serenity he had ever shared with another not encompassed by the grasping, leaden hand of Death.

Instead, Kyo reached for his discarded kimono and drew it over them both.

Yuya stirred against him, and Kyo paused, staring down at her intently. She mumbled inaudibly, her warm lips again his skin forming indecipherable words in the midst of some dream. Delicate fingers twined themselves more securely in a lock of his crimson hair, as though he was her anchor to the waking world.

_'You are a fool.' _Kyo did not know exactly to whom he referred. _'You should have left when you had the chance, before you knew...' _His hand smoothed up the ridge of her spine, his fingers disappearing into the silken fall of her hair.

In his lifetime, he had known anger, hatred, betrayal, and the unquenchable lust for blood and power. Here now, in this too-short eternity, was something he had never been aware of; the unfamiliarity and _rightness_ of it shook him to the core.

_'You have come too close – if I let you escape now, I will never understand why you, why your smile, why your tears can make me feel things I was told were beyond my grasp. Your life is mine and no one shall take you from me.'_

"You and you alone..." he whispered to her, knowing that she could not hear him. Kyo closed his eyes, but did not sleep. The moments were too precious to waste on oblivion, after all.

The moonlight waned as snowflakes began to fall, a soft and silent shroud over the cold iron ground. The world was still... for the time being . All too soon, even they two would be caught up in the coming tide.

Music:

Vivaldi's _Four Season's, L'Inverno_

_-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

**Intermezzo: Author's Notes**

Narrator here. _Intermezzo_ is a tale that attempts to narrate the "what happened" in the ten-year span of time between the "end" of the SDK anime series and the proposed Battle of Edo Castle. Not the most original fanfic idea, I know, but it is one that I have wanted to take a crack at ever since I finished the series (and went ballistic, because there was absolutely NO closure whatsoever!). This will actually be the first installment in a planned trilogy – yep, you are in for the long haul if you find yourself liking this story! I will do my utmost to keep everyone in character, but as the story spans a decade, do not be surprised by subtle (or even overt) changes in attitudes and/or character interactions.

Just to warn you, I HATE writing angst/drama/serious romance, which is exactly what this story is. So if there are long gaps between updates, you will know that Narrator has had yet another creative meltdown that she is trying to overcome by eating cookies and listening to Mozart's _Requiem_ on eternal repeat. Also note that this fic is to be considered separate from any of my other SDK fics, which were written purely as an exercise in fluff and squidgy warm feelings.

Salute!

The Narrator


	2. Allegro non Molto

**Disclaimer:** Nope, things haven't changed since last chapter – I still don't own _Samurai Deeper Kyo._ sniffle!

**_Intermezzo_**

_Chapter 1: Allegro non Molto_

_Three years later..._

The sun was setting and the market was nearly empty. Summer heat was slowing fading as the evening breeze wafted road dust and the debris of the day's commerce. I gave a sigh of relief and began gathering up my assorted dried and fresh herds, powders, grinders, mortars and pestles. My load would be considerably lighter than it had been this morning – that made me smile, even though I felt like I was about to drop from exhaustion. It would mean another extended stint of gathering and preparation once I was on the road again, but knowing that my work was doing some good was worth future effort. Besides, I had a soft, clean futon waiting for me – lots of things don't seem so bad when you know something like _that_ is in your future!

That, and a nice hot bath.

I had just shut the last drawer on the last cache of small ceramic jars when I felt a sudden icy prickle on the back of my neck. No mistaking that old adrenaline rush signaling danger. I reached down into my obi for my poisoned needles, but I wasn't quick enough - strong arms suddenly enveloped me from behind, a large hand clapping over my mouth to stifle my startled shriek as I was jerked out of the back of the stall into the cool dark shadows of the alley behind it.

"Tell me," a voice whispered harshly into my ear, "How does a little slip of a girl like you manage not to get sliced to ribbons when she's so oblivious to her surroundings?"

I worked my mouth free of my captor's hand. "I'm sorry, sir," I said sweetly, "But if you're in the market for herbs to increase your intelligence, I'm afraid you're beyond my skill to help."

"Tch!" My assailant gave me one last lecherous grope, which made me yelp in indignation. Honestly, he hasn't, and probably never will, learn there are just some things you don't do in public! "More than a fortnight since I saw you last and that's the greeting you give me?" Kyo demanded, releasing me.

I spun around, smirking up at him despite the fact that he really deserved a smack. "You're lucky I knew it was you, Onime no Kyo, or you would have been flat out on the ground from one of my poisoned needles!" I told him in my sternest, brattiest voice.

Kyo rolled his eyes and picked up his katana, which he had leaned against the back of my stall. "Hn." _"As if,"_ he might as well have added. "If Taka-baba was such a great healer with such an ultimate respect for life, why the hell did she teach you to use those things?" he demanded, brushing past me into the stall.

"Even Taka-_sensei_ realized a girl needs to know how to defend against jerks and perverts," I reminded him, laying an emphasis on the honorific of my late teacher.

He arched an eyebrow at that one, which I pretended to disregard as I picked up my portable medicine chest. "I wouldn't be surprised if that old witch included me in that category," I heard him mutter.

"Hey, now is certainly _not_ the time to be speaking ill of the dead," I told him, "Wait until the day after tomorrow if you have to gripe."

He eyed me, clearly not amused. "Do you always take Obon seriously, or are you feeling particularly frisky today?"

"Hm?" I responded innocently.

"Why are you in this rathole of a town, anyway?" Kyo demanded sharply, "I got back to Kashikojima and I hear you've left, on your own, for this damned place."

"It's not a...!" I began, but with supreme effort I curbed my tongue. It wasn't worth trying to fight him over, and besides, I had places to be. "Let's go," I said, slinging the medicine chest on my back and stepping out of the stall so he'd have no choice but to follow me if he wanted to continue his inquisition.

"Where the hell are you going?" Kyo asked after me. I looked over my shoulder, startled. Kyo was apparently intending to head in the opposite direction.

"I'm going to the mayor's house – that's where we're staying tonight."

Kyo frowned. "Since when do medicine peddlers and wandering samurai stay in the local bigwig's place?" he wanted to know, not bothering to move.

I stopped and turned around, to make a remark about him being nosy. That's when I finally noticed he seemed unusually tense, and not just because of our brief little spat. Kyo, tense, is _never_ a good thing. "What's wrong?" I asked instead, "You didn't have any trouble hunting down those bandits, did you?"

Right away, I knew that wasn't it. Kyo snorted, as if disgusted at how dense I could be. "You mean those Akaisora-shuu assholes you insisted I hunt down for what they did in Kashikojima? The damn cowards made me chase them all the way to the far side Yamato-no-kuni, but there's no way they'll ever threaten another village again," he informed me, crossing his arms across his chest. "Why? You'd think I'd come back before the job was done?"

"No, nothing like that..." I shook my head. Kyo was trying to pick a fight – whether because he was in an exceptionally bad mood or (more likely) he was trying to distract me from my first question for whatever Kyo-logical reason. You can't really spendthree years with someone and not figure out a couple of their quirks.

Though Kyo, admittedly, never ceases to find new ways to aggravate.

I sighed resignedly. "In any case, thank you for taking the job," I continued, walking back to him, "I know Onime no Kyo doesn't have much use for jobs like being a yojimbo, but..."

"...but you're a sucker for hard-luck cases. I know," Kyo grunted, pretending to be completely disinterested in the conversation.

Grinning, I tapped him on his breastplate. "Oh, so you didn't take the job because of the money?" I teased.

He ignored me.

"In any case," I said lightly, turning back around, "Let's get on our way and I'll explain everything."

"Hn," Kyo grunted, falling in step beside me.

"We're staying at Mayor Dazai-san's house tonight," I told him, "because I saved his grandson's life while you were out chasing bandits all over Ise and Yamato. A servant of Dazai-san's household came down to Kashikojima to see if they had a healer to spare for the sake of his eldest grandson. The little boy had come down with a case of swamp fever several days before, but the boy's father and the town doctor had been drafted into the daimyo's army last spring. What else could I do?" I bit my lip, remembering little Gasuke's whimperings because he was so exhausted from successive chills and fever to cry, and how his mother and grandmother and the mayor himself begged me to heal him.

"If it hadn't been for those years with Taka-sensei, I wouldn't have been able to do anything. Everything she taught me – that's what saved him." My hands clenched the straps of my medicine chest tightly and my feet slowed. _But when it really mattered, when _she_ was the one who was sick and in pain, I hadn't been able to do anything!_

She had welcomed death so peacefully, as if the pain didn't matter. I could recall her face so clearly, hear her voice. _"What's with that face, Yu-chan? I've lived long enough. You're my last pupil and your training is far from complete, but I know I can leave this world knowing that one day, you will be a true healer..."_

But if only I had known what to do, if I had had more time, if I could only...

"Hmph." Kyo took me by the elbow and pulled me down the empty thoroughfare. I jerked myself out of my reverie so I wouldn't fall flat on my face. "It seems to me that you are the one the family's thanking," he remarked before I could rail on him, "It's the student who can carry out what they've been taught without hesitation or regret who pays the greatest respect to their master."

Kyo can be scarily perceptive at times, I've noticed. But I found myself smiling, like my pack wasn't as heavy as it had been a moment ago. "Ano, Kyo?" We were walking through the deepening twilight town; small, controlled bonfires were being lit in front of every household, beacons to guide the ghosts of relatives and ancestors to their homes. Obonmatsuri, the festival of the dead, was now in its second night, and I took it as good sign that Kyo had just happened to arrive on this day.

"What is it?" he asked me, not even bothering to slow down.

I took a deep breath. "Maybe, tonight," I began, "you can drink your sake with Kyoshiro."

Kyo stopped dead in his tracks, his hold on my arm tightening suddenly as he turned to look down at me.

"It's been three, nearly four years," I said hurriedly, glancing around the empty street, anywhere but at him, "For so long a time, Kyo...tonight is as good a night as any to start making your peace."

Even mentioning Kyoshiro's name, ever since that winter night, has been something of a taboo between Kyo and me. For the longest time, I was simply afraid to bring it up, because I had no idea how Kyo would react.

But then I began to notice things, subtle things... during the winter especially, Kyo would become withdrawn, listless or he would assume the crude mannerisms of the heartless samurai I could still remember from all those years ago when I had met Onime no Kyo and not known Kyo himself. Nothing I could say or do at those times could make him open up, and more often than not, he would leave me with Taka-sensei and not return for weeks at a time. It hurt, the first time – each time, but he always came back to me. I learned to tread lightly and accept his reticence, but it was still frustrating not to be able to help him.

Patience has never been my strongest point, as both Onii-sama and Taka-sensei told me many times. I suppose I was taking a risk, bringing up Kyoshiro just when Kyo had returned, but it was necessary. No matter how quick he was to sneer at it, Kyo was still tied to his past – to Kyoshiro in particular. He needed to learn to reconcile with it – with him. I could speak from experience, after all.

For the longest time, we stood there, in the middle of the street lit by fires meant for the dead. I finally dared look up at him, and saw that Kyo was staring fixedly at the house-front behind me, and the fire crackling in its brazier.

"Kyo?"

His jaw clenched and he turned his face toward the way ahead. "Stop dallying, woman," he said, walking again and pulling me along with him.

"Ack, Kyo!" I yelped, "Do you even know where you're going?" I jerked my head back at the intersection we had already stormed through. "We needed to turn right back there."

Not even sparing me a glance, Kyo abruptly changed course back to the side street.

Caught off guard, I instinctively resisted and my geta twisted beneath me. The heavy medicine chest on my back didn't help matters. Down I went. "Augh!"

"What's going on here!"

_'Don't I recognize that voice?' _I opened one eye very carefully. The expected one-point impact I had braced myself for had never come – Kyo had caught me at the last second, but only just. I didn't dare move a muscle, lest I throw both of us off-balance and completely ruin the evening.

"Getting rather klutzy, aren't you?" Kyo breathed in my ear before finally pulling me upright.

"Stand and declare yourself!" someone shouted; the same voice from before, I noted. Kyo was still holding me too closely for me to turn around and see the speaker.

Whoever it was, they had a lantern with them.

"Doesn't the night watch have something better to do than bother people out for a walk?" Kyo snarled, looking at the speaker. He released me, only to push me behind him.

"The night watch has a duty, _sir_, to stop and question anyone we see engaging in suspicious activity, especially so close to Dazai-shichou's residence," another voice replied firmly, "The Akaisora-shuu bandits have been operating near Tokubo of late, after all."

"And your point is...?" I noticed Kyo's hand was on the hilt of his katana.

_'That's not good..._' I took hold of his sword hand and stepped in front of him. "Konbonwa," I greeted the two men who had accosted us, raising my hand to shield my eyes from the lantern light, "My name is..."

One of the watchmen, upon seeing me, instantly lowered the lantern, which he had been holding out on a long pole. The other took his hand from the hilt of his katana. "Yuya!" he blurted, his brown eyes lighting up with friendly recognition, "What are you doing here?"

_'Oh, this is just fan-flippin'-tastic...'_ "Konbonwa, Oze-san," I greeted through grit teeth.

"Please, Yuya, I've already told you, it's Touji – there's no need for there to be such formality between us," Touji replied flirtatiously.

I swear I heard Kyo growl. I was tempted to say, "Down boy," but I don't think he would have been too amused.

"Very well, Touji-kun," I said instead, giving Kyo's hand a squeeze, "Best that we not detain you any longer. I'm sure you have more important duties to take care of. My companion and I are just going to Dazai-shichou's house..."

"Oh yes, who is this _companion_ of yours, Yuya?" Touji asked, turning his attention to Kyo and giving him a disdainful once-over. "I'm supposing you're her yojimbo or some such? Rather a poor job you've been doing, letting her come to Tokubo unescorted."

I have come to the conclusion that men are, by and large, morons.

Kyo actually did growl and I flattened myself up against him to hold him in place.

"Maa, maa, Touji-kun," interjected the other watchman – Eijiro, I think; I never heard his family name. He smiled blithely at Kyo and me, the lantern pole slung casually over his shoulder like a fishing rod. "We have been quite honored to have Shiina-sensei come to our poor town. Her healing abilities are quite remarkable indeed, as anyone could tell you. Any companion of hers is equally welcome."

I could have kissed him. "Thank you for the vote of confidence, Eijiro-kun," I said, smiling warmly. Kyo relaxed a bit, and Touji looked miffed.

"We won't detain you any longer, Shiina-sensei," Eijiro said, with a nod down the street we were to take, "Have a good evening." He bowed politely.

"Same to you," I replied, returning the favor.

Kyo shook loose from my hold and began walking down the street. I was about to follow him, when...

"Oi, Yuya!"

_'Argh...'_ I turned reluctantly and flashed Touji a sweet, "shut-up-baka-before-you-say-something-that will-get-your-head-ripped-off" smile.

"...you are going to be at the bon-odori tomorrow night, right?"

"Well..." I hedged. Dazai-san had invited me as a personal guest of his to the last night of Obon. He had gone into great detail as to the town tradition of not only having the time-honored enormous bonfire and dancing, but also a toro nagashi, where little boats bearing lanterns would be placed on the river east of town to float out to sea. It symbolized the dead taking their leave of the living.

All in all, it sounded like great fun, but as for Kyo...

I glanced after him, and saw that he had stopped and was looking at Touji as though the boy was a particularly annoying fly he was going to swat with his katana. Touji was oblivious, of course.

"Of course!" I chirped, "See you there!" I turned and hurried Kyo along before Touji could think up another delaying tactic. Or Kyo thwacked him, whichever came first.

"Who..." Kyo asked almost a minute later, "...was that moron?"

"Just some kid who got it in his head that he's the best thing since they put the seaweed around the rice and called it onigiri," I replied with a shrug, "He was part of the gate guard when I came into town, and he kept popping up at Dazai-san's house on some errand or other for his captain." I peered at Kyo out of the corner of my eye. "Why, are you jealous or something?"

Kyo snorted. I laughed.

----------------------------

"Ara, ara Gasuke-kun, if you do not slow down, you are going to get sick all over again!" Kuniko admonished her son breathily as the boy grabbed two more daifuku from the tray in the center of the table, "You have had too many already!"

Gasuke quickly crammed one of the daifuku into his mouth, ballooning his cheeks out as his mother moved to take the sweet red bean dumplings away.

"Tee-hee, 'Nii-chan's a squirrel!" cried little Aiko, pointing and giggling as her little sister, Fusako, shrieked with laughter.

"Ah, let the boy have his fill, Kuniko-chan," Nobio advised her daughter-in-law over the ear-piercing squeals of laughter from the little girls and Gasuke's intelligible protests, "Shiina-sensei did say that he needs to eat to regain his strength. Ne, Shiina-sensei?"

"Ah..." I forcibly stifled my own giggles before answering in as serious a tone as I could muster. "I have noticed that Gasuke-kun's appetite has returned and that the swamp fever seems to have disappeared completely. About the only thing he needs to worry about is getting indigestion from eating too much too quickly." I paused significantly and raised an eyebrow at Gasuke, who had stopped trying to hide under the table to hear my pronouncement. "While I do have medicine to treat such a condition, I must warn him that it tastes quite bitter..."

Gasuke's eyes went wide and he trust the remaining bun into his mother's waiting hands. I think he would have tried spitting out the half-chewed one in his mouth if his mother, grandmother, and sisters hadn't started scolding him.

"Ah, the family is so lively tonight. I can hear my father and older brother laughing," Dazai-san remarked in his dignified, reedy voice. He gestured to the butsudan containing his family ihai and the kamidana on the wall above it. "They approve of our levity – too often have we been without it."

"You have done me...both of us, a great honor in letting us eat with your family tonight," I responded quietly.

Dazai-san nodded his head, the feathered wisps of his cloud white hair stirring with the motion. "It is most fitting that the healer who saved my grandson's life be present this evening, so that our ancestors may thank her in person," he said.

I really couldn't think of an appropriate answer, so I merely bowed slightly to him and to the ancestral altars, replete with a miniature feast for the spirits who had come to visit.

"I have asked that my eldest son, Makoto, watch over his younger brother," Dazai-san continued, his withered hands clasping his cooling tea cup to hide their trembling, "He was killed at Sekigahara, and I know he wants to spare Kuniko-chan the grief his own Umeko experienced before she joined him."

I purposefully did not look at Kyo, who had been sitting rigidly silent beside me the entire evening. "Your sons were...are both brave men, ne?" I said.

"Aa," agreed Dazai-san, his old eyes staring at the ihai as if he was looking into the faces of those long departed, "Giichi was too young to join theEastern Army at the time; he tried running after Makoto, but Makoto sent him back to us. When we finally received word that Makoto had been killed by one of those damned Tokugawa riflemen...Giichi swore then that he would never be turned back from another battle." He took a gulp of his tea and shook his head. "I suppose all young men are like that. We grandfathers, whose fighting days are gone even from memory, can only sit at home and pray for their return."

"And look after their wives and children," I added softly, inclining my head toward Kuniko, who was trying to convince Gasuke, Aiko, and Fusako that it was bedtime. It wasn't going too well.

Dazai-san blinked and looked over at me, rather startled. For a brief instant, I wondered if I had somehow offended him, but then his wrinkled face creased in an awkward smile. "Aa, Shiina-sensei, we also do that," he said. He patted my hand. "It is quite rare to hear such wisdom from so young a woman. I did wonder why your stoic companion was willing to let you wander about on your own, but now I see that he appreciates your self-containment as much as I have come to."

"Thank you, Dazai-san," I said, blushing slightly.

"If I may ask, Kyo-dono, how was it that you became Shiina-sensei's...protector?" Kuniko asked in the lull of conversation. She had been the one to ask me if I would like to have another futon placed in my room for my "husband;" I think my admittedly instinctive, "He's not my husband" had given her quite a turn.

Kyo hadn't made things better by telling her that one futon was enough.

"She made the mistake of challenging someone stronger than her," Kyo answered unexpectedly. The children, who had been begging their grandmother to intervene on their behalf and let them stay up later, quieted instantly.

"'Nee-san was going to _fight_ someone!" Gasuke demanded, his eyes wide. He looked at me and scratched his head, apparently puzzled. "But you're a girl, aren't you?"

"Last time I checked," I answered with a short laugh.

"But why on earth would Shiina-sensei attempt such a thing?" Nobio asked, a hint of disapproval in her voice, "Surely she would have no need..."

"Need? Certainly. In most cases, self-interest managed to keep her alive. But it seems lately that her sympathy is overriding her common sense."

I was wondering there was a way I could spill his tea in his lap and make it look like an accident. Maybe an elbow jab would be more effective, since he had taken off his armor before sitting down to dinner.

"And so...you saved her life?" Kuniko concluded after a long, awkward pause.

"In passing," said Kyo shortly. Kuniko tilted her head to one side as though trying to process what exactly Kyo meant by "in passing," while Nobio pursed her lips and shook her head.

I wanted to follow Gasuke's example - crawl under the table and stay there.

"It seems to me that Shiina-sensei's compassion is contagious," Dazai-san spoke up. He was looking at Kyo with a slight smile on his lips. "I recall word coming from Kashikojima almost a week ago that a ronin wearing an oni's crimson armor had come into town. Upon hearing of their most recent attack by bandits, he took up the job of being their yojimbo, despite the fact the reward was far less than what a ronin of any skill would usually have demanded. It is said that the young healer woman who accompanied the ronin had spoken but one word to convince him."

"It was more than one," Kyo corrected gruffly, frowning at me as I bit off my laugh.

Dazai-san nodded dismissively. "Be that as it may, I can safely assume that we will all sleep safely tonight, knowing that none of the Akaisora-shuu will ever threaten us again."

"Why is that, ojii-san?" Aiko asked. Being six, she was only vaguely aware of the fear her elders had of that name, having never seen what that murderous group had wrought in the towns and farming villages to the south. She looked at Kyo. "Did 'Nii-san do something to scare them away?"

"I betcha he did more than that!" Gasuke crowed excitedly. He leapt to his feet and, miming a swordsman's stance, swung his arms about with such enthusiasm that he almost fell over.

"What did he do?" Aiko insisted, stamping her foot impatiently when her brother continued to slash at invisible enemies and did not answer her.

"Nothing you need worry your pretty head about, Ai-chan," Nobio told her, pinching the little girl's cheek, "Now, it is time for all good children to go to bed!"

"Awww!" Gasuke and Aiko whined; Fusako didn't join in, as she was already sound asleep in Kuniko's lap.

-----------------------------------

I tied the sash of my yukata and took a deep breath. _'Here goes nothing...'_ Picking up the full sake jug and the five choko I had requested from my hosts, I walked out onto the deck overlooking the back courtyard.

The nearly-full moon was sailing through a sky rife with the tattered ends of clouds. Amidst the night-blooming jasmine of Nobio's garden, fireflies danced and flashed their green-yellow lanterns, while cicadas chirred and sang in accompaniment. The air was weighted by the remnants of the day's heat and the jasmines' perfume.

"Beautiful..." I gasped, having not had a chance to fully appreciate a late summer night for some time. I could almost forget what I had come out there for...

"Are you just going to stand there all night or are you going to pour that sake?"

...almost.

"After what you said at dinner tonight, I don't know if I should even share this," I said, looking down at Kyo and holding the sake jug up out of his reach.

"You expect me to say something besides the truth?" he retorted, reaching around behind my knees and pulling me down into his lap.

I barely managed to save the sake. "Give me a little warning next time, will you?" I huffed, though, to be truthful, I was more than comfortable just where I was.

He raised an eyebrow. "No fun in that," he told me before reaching for the sake jug.

"Ah-ah-ah!" I scolded, holding it closer to my chest, "I was the one who brought it out here! We're doing this properly! Now, let me up so I can pour it for you."

Kyo made a rumbling sound deep in his throat and for a moment I thought he was going to go for something other than the sake. Then he lifted me up and helped me slide over onto the deck beside him.

I laid out the five choko in a row between us.

"What the hell is this?" he wanted to know, "Are you trying to play some sort of drinking game? After that last one, I'd think you'd..."

"_No_, it's not a drinking game!" I interrupted, blushing a hot, deep scarlet. Kyo smirked. "For your information, this is for our visitors."

"Visitors?"

"This one is for my onii-sama," I said, pouring a measure of sake into the first choko, "For Taka-sensei. This one is mine. This is for you..."

"And that last one?" No smirk now. Kyo's voice had taken on a quiet, dangerous tone.

"This?" I filled the choko and looked up at him. "This is for your guest, whomever you choose."

Kyo narrowed his eyes at me. "What are you playing at, little girl?"

"Nothing; it's your choice to make," I said calmly, even though my heart was hammering in my chest, "Besides, it's unlucky to have only four in a gathering on such a night."

Kyo took up his choko, his piercing garnet gaze never straying from my face. "I don't believe in bad luck," he said, before downing his sake and handing the empty choko to me.

I sighed as I refilled it and gave it back to him. "As for myself..." I picked up my choko and held it up to the moonlight, "...I remember the first time onii-sama let me have sake. I was ten years old and it was New Years. I had been begging him to let me try some because everywhere I looked, it seemed, adults were drinking it and being very happy. Finally he said yes, but he also gave me a stern warning:

"'Know the difference between happiness and intoxication. One feeds the soul, and the other can destroy it.'"

I took a sip of my sake, appreciating its smooth flavor before swallowing. "I tried downing a full carafe and wound up getting sick. I never touched the stuff again for a good many years."

Kyo made a sound that may or may not have been a laugh. "That explains why you're such a lightweight," he said.

"I am not!" I argued, "I just appreciate sake more than most others!"

"Whatever," he said. He reached over and took up the sake jug, refilled my choko and then his. He didn't drink right away, but leaned his head back against the support beam behind him, his eyes out on the yard, watching the fireflies dance to cicada song. I turned my eyes skyward, following the track of the moon as it was veiled and unveiled by passing clouds.

"Remember the time Taka-sensei told us about sake from the Western Lands being made from grapes or honey?" I asked after a while.

"What about it?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing; I was just remembering how Taka-sensei always told the best stories. Everything she saw in China and along the Silk Road, into the Western Lands..." I swallowed against the rising burn of tears in my throat.

It was in the spring, three years ago, when I had first met the woman who would teach me the powers contained in the wooden chest I had inherited from Kyoshiro. Taka-sensei, the only name by which I would know her, was nearing the end of her long life and decided to take me as her last apprentice. Though one might doubt her incredible claim to have journeyed beyond Japan's shores, past even the farthest reaches of China to the lands beyond, no one could deny the extent of her knowledge of medicine and healing craft. The properties of willow bark, angelica root and many, many others were opened to me, and I learned to save lives, where before I would have been helpless against pain and suffering.

But more than physical healing, Taka-sensei taught me about strength, quiet wisdom, and faith in hope. Kyo had given me a path to walk along, and his presence beside me made me want to be strong for his sake. Taka-sensei helped me to find what strength I already possessed, but had not been aware of. Her words might have been sharp, her humor caustic, and her lessons demanding, but I would not have traded those short years for anything.

If I had ever known a mother, I would have wanted her to be like my mentor. All I had left of her was her memory and the few books she had when the final illness took her from me.

_'I'm so weak. Onii-sama was taken from me, and I couldn't defend him. Taka-sensei was taken from me, and I couldn't save her...'_

My choko was lifted from my trembling fingers, and a warm, callused hand on my cheek brushed away my tears. "I thought I told you," Kyo said, lifting my face to look me in the eye, "being yourself, being a healer, is enough. Crying doesn't befit you or Taka-baba's memory."

"It's only been a month Kyo," I said, blinking away the tears that continued to eke out, "I just can't..."

"Then mourn. Mourn her, but do not forget your future," he told me, "The past must bury the past."

I nodded and took a deep breath. "Then maybe..." My eyes flicked down to the last choko. "Kyo..."

His jaw clenched, and I expected him to thrust me away. I cringed. _'Baka, baka, bakabakabakaBAKA!'_

"Why does he matter so much to you?"

_'Huh?'_ Kyo's voice was quiet, halfway between anger and confusion. At least he wasn't storming away. "Because..." What could I say? "Because he matters to you – because he was part of you. Kyo, he was only human."

"That bastard was the one who killed your brother, remember? He killed the most important person in the world to you, and you can forgive him for that!"

"But he also gave me you."

Kyo's eyes widened.

_'Now I've done it...'_ "I'm sorry, I just thought...I wasn't..." I shook my head and made to stand.

Unexpectedly, he pulled me to him, upsetting the line of choko and spilling the sake all over my yukata.

It was times like these that I got a hint of how strong Kyo really was. Very nearly crushed to his chest, I couldn't have pulled away if I wanted to. His breathing was rapid, shallow, as if he had just run to Edo and back. "Don't leave."

"Kyo?" I asked worriedly. The tenseness I thought I had observed earlier was undeniably apparent in every line and plane of his body. "Kyo, what is it?"

"What I would give to not..." he muttered; I got the impression he wasn't speaking to me.

"Kyo?" I was getting worried now. I thought back to earlier in the evening. "Something happened. While you were in Yamato, right? Something happened when you were hunting the Akaisora-shuu...?"

For a long time he did not answer. "Something's coming...I don't know what it is, but I can feel it. The scent of blood is in the wind, faint, but growing stronger." His voice was low, hoarse, and...eager? "I can only relate it to the time just before Sekigahara. Or to when Nobunaga returned."

Cold dread clenched my heart. "Another war?" I whispered.

I felt Kyo shake his head. "More than that – more terrible."

"What are you going to do about it?" I managed. Kyo's conception of "terrible" was probably many degrees removed from anything I could imagine.

Again, Kyo paused. "In the morning we will leave this town. There is someone I want to speak with in Kudoyama."

_'Kudoyama? That means...' _"But Yukimura-san's practically imprisoned there," I protested, "You can't expect him to..."

"He remains there by choice," Kyo interrupted shortly, "You can bet there isn't a thing happening in Japan, let alone the Kii peninsula, he doesn't know about."

I let my head sag against his collarbone. "All right," I agreed, "But please, Kyo, can we stay here one more day?"

His embrace loosened so that he could look down at me. "Why?"

"Dazai-san...and the children - they so wanted me to come to the bon-odori. It's one night, Kyo. Will it make that much difference?" _'Even you, Onime no Kyo, need time to rest. Even you need time to be at peace, no matter how briefly.'_

"No difference to me," he said after a moment, with a sneer that didn't reach his garnet eyes, "You're probably just in it for the men who'll be staring at you."

"Yes, I'm in the market for a husband," I replied sarcastically, relieved and disappointed that he had stopped being serious, "I thought I'd check all my options. A town festival is the perfect place to start."

"As if you'd find a better man than me," Kyo retorted.

"I won't know until I look, now will I?" I returned sweetly, "Now, let me up. I want to go to bed."

"What if I don't want you to?"

"Tough. I'm tired and tomorrow's going to be a late night."

"Tonight can be a late night, too."

'_Dammit, he got me to blush!'_ "Onime no Kyo, let me up right now or you're going to be very sorry!"

"Hn." Kyo leaned back on his hands, letting me find my own way off his lap. I slid onto the wooden deck and found that, miraculously, there was still one choko standing. I picked it up and held it out to him.

"Kyo, tonight...if you ask me to forgive myself, I ask you to forgive..."

"Tch." He took the choko and set it down firmly beside him. "Pour me another."

"Hai." I picked up the jug and one of the scattered choko, pouring him one last measure of sake.

Kyo accepted it and drained it slowly, looking at me all the while. "Tonight..." he declared, "he can wait until I'm done."

I nodded. Well, what could I expect? It was a small step, but at least it was a step. Looking down at my liquor-soaked clothing, I wrinkled my nose. "Geez Kyo, look at what you did to my yukata!" I got to my feet. "I'm going to have to change into my spare one now."

I had taken one step into the room when I heard him whisper in my ear, "Don't bother. You won't be needing it tonight."

-----------------------------------

Narrator here. I hope you have enjoyed the first chapter. Forgive my fast-forward, but it is necessary, as you, best beloveds, will doubtless see.

--------------------------------------

**Music for this chapter: **

Vivaldi's _Four Seasons, L'Estate (Allegro non molto Adagio)_

Beethoven's _Op. 27, no. 2 in C# min.: Sonata quasi una fantasia (Moonlight Sonata) _

----------------------------------------

**Dictionary:**

_"Konbanwa" – _"Good evening."

_-baba: _Kyo refers to Yuya's late mentor by a term that's rather disrespectful toward older women. As he uses it, it's "hag" or "crone." Why he does this will be revealed in later chapters.

-_sensei:_ "teacher," but also, "doctor" (hence the use of "Shiina-sensei" when people address Yuya)

-_san:_ "Mr." or "Ms." (or "Mrs.") Personally, I think that's a tad confusing...

_-dono:_ formal honorific equivalent to "milord" or "milady;" sometimes used interchangeably with "-_sama_"

-_kun:_ normally an honorific applied to boys or young men with whom one has a comfortable acquaintance, but can also be applied to subordinates/younger people of either gender.

-_nii-san; -nii-chan:_ "Big Brother." Kids in Japan often refer to young men who are not in their family by this honorific. Yuya refers to her late brother as _"onii-sama,"_ which is just a super-polite, formal derivation. It indicates the respect and reverence she holds for his memory.

_-nee-chan; -nee-san:_ "Big Sister." See above definition.

_Ojii-san, -jii-san_: Grandfather, grandpa

_-shichou:_ "Mayor."

_Akaisora-shuu:_ literally "Red Sky Group." No historical or cultural basis here, I just needed a name for a group of bandits. (--) Don't look at me like that!

_Obon(matsuri): _Buddhist religious festival celebrating the annual return of the spirits of the dead to their ancestral homes. Small fires are lit in front of every house to guide these spirits home. Often, the dead are spoken of as if they are present at family gatherings during this time, and they are expected to partake in the special food their living relatives have prepared. Graves are cleaned and attended to, much like at New Years. The three-day celebration takes place in mid-July or mid-August, the specific days depending on the lunar calendar.

_bon-odori_: traditional Shinto dance taking place on the last night of Obon to honor the deceased and give them a good send-off. Includes a communal bonfire and sometimes a _toro-nagashi_, which Yuya describes in the story.

_butsudan:_ domestic Buddhist altar found in most Japanese houses that house the family _ihai_, or ancestral memorial tablets. The names of the dead (_kaimyo)_ are inscribed on these tablets and represent the soul of the dead person.

_kamidana:_ Shinto household shrine (literally: "god/spirit-shelf"). Spirits of the dead become protective family _kami_ in the Shinto tradition, so there are often tablets similar to _ihai_ on this small altar to represent them.

_Yamoto-no-kuni; Ise:_ Names of feudal prefectures during the SDK storyline. This first chapter takes place in a fictional town in the Ise prefecture, which today is known as Mie. _Yamoto_ is the 17th century name of the present-day Nara prefecture.

_daimyo_ I translate this as "feudal lord," though I know some comparative history student's going to yell at me for that...

_yojimbo:_ bodyguard

_ronin:_ masterless samurai. And if you don't know what "samurai" means, shame on you!

_baka:_ idiot, stupid head, etc.

_daifuku_ dumplings made from rice flour with a sweet red bean stuffing. Consumed on special occasions (i.e. New Years, Obon) because they are considered good luck food. And they're really yummy, too!

_sake:..._again, if you don't know this one, shame on you!

_choko:_ those small saucer-like thingies you see people drinking sake from. (--) What, I'm not Webster's!

_yukata:_ a light cotton kimono used for sleeping; also refers to standard summer wear. Of course, one does not wear one's sleeping yukata in public.

**Terms from _Prelude:_**

_tachikaze_lit. "sword-wind;" term for the wind induced by a passing blade

_Jigoku:_ Japanese name for Hell, Hades, the Underworld, etc.

_juban_undershirt for kimono

_koshimaki_ wrap-around underskirt

_Primary sources:_ Shinto: Origins, Rituals, Festivals, Spirits, Sacred Places by C. Scott Littleton.

Legends of the Samurai by Hiroaki Sato

Cultures and Customs of Japan by Noriko

-----------------------------

**To My Reviewers: **Thank you for your overwhemingly positive response to the prolouge! I am so glad that all of you are enjoying the story thus far...

**starofhades:** Thank you for your generous assessment of my angst/drama abilities. I do try very hard to keep everyone in character, and I appreciate that you took the time to highlight that. And yes, cookies are good!

**marnika: **Yep, the anime series really did leave us grasping for closure didn't it? Blah! Thanks for saying you'll stick with me!

**vegita-dias:**I'm not worthy! (grovels) That the writer of "Midori no Me" would review sessha - oh happiness! Erm, yeah, anywho...the reason I have an "R" rating on this is that it is going to get dark, _very_ quickly, so look forward to that. Also, please contiue your wonderful work on "Midori no Me"! (P.S. - The "Confutatis" is my favorite part of Mozart's Requiem)

**LadyWater2010:** Thank you! Unfotunately, the best indication of a breakdown on my part is a significant lag of time between updates...

**Placid Snowflake: **Well, tell your okaa-san that the Narrator says it was Kyo and will defend that position to the death! (poses like Sailor Moon)

**Mimi-san:** Yay, Narrator has a fan! But now you've made me nervous - what's your definiton of a "horrible story"?

**elyssalyn:** Yes, I can only pray that they stay with me, too... (sniffle!)

**kitsune55:** Kyoshiro had to die because, well...I think it was Migeira who said that the world could not contain the two of them, because they were such extreme opposites. (shrugs) It's been a while since I've watched the series so I'm not sure.

**Genjy0-Sanz0:** Oh, but I only wrote "I've Never" to get the funnies out of my system before writing this! Hidoi! (starts bawling) I'm okay, really... I'm glad this fic has redeemed me in your eyes.

**wow:** As stated above, yes, I hate writing serious stuff 'cuz it's icky. But it needs to be done.

**Arin Ross:** Kyo definitely struck me as one of those people who think liars are weak or worse, cowrads, so yeah, I definitely had to put that in my story. Glad you liked it!

**Lady of Genisis:** Oi, daijoubu desu ka! (waves handkerchief in Lady's face) Hang on, milady, I've updated!

**luna-magic-2005:** Yay, another fan! (happy hamster dance) And YES, bad ending, bad! No closure! GRrrrrrrrr!

**animegrl1047: **Glad you liked my "I've Never..." ficcy! And no, I can't tell you what Akira said, 'cuz he'd kill me too...

**nekozuki1776: **I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy!(grovels...again) Thank you for the remarks on my use of Japanese cultural references. I've actually done some research so I could incorporate those elements, and it is gratifying for someone to notice.

Salute!


	3. Andante Espressivo Spiritoso

**Disclaimer:...** wait for it... SamuraiDeeperKyoisnotmine!

**_Intermezzo_**

_Chapter 2: Andante espressivo (Spiritoso)_

"Ano, Kuniko-san? Really, you don't have to..."

"Nonsense, Shiina-sensei!" Kuniko cheerfully overrode my protests. "You are our honored guest! Please take no offense, but you need to be wearing something befitting such a mark of distinction!" She crossed her immaculate bedroom over to her oshire.

I felt my eye twitch and forced myself to take a deep, cleansing breath. After all, Kuniko _was_ only trying to help, and common sense and decorum dictated that I should graciously take her up on her offer.

Personal, feminine pride, however, was demanding a less demure response.

I felt a tug on the sleeve of my kimono and looked down to see Aiko staring up at me with huge doe-eyes. "Please, 'nee-san! Okaa-san has lotsa pretty yukata – I promise you'll like them!"

_'Arrrgh...'_ "Well..." I hesitated.

_"Pleeeeeeease?"_ Aiko begged, adding a bit of a sniffle and quivering her pouting bottom lip.

There should be laws against those kinds of tactics! "I'm sure I will," I said resignedly, smiling and tousling her feather-soft dark hair.

Aiko's eyes and face lit up. "Yay, we get to dress up 'nee-san!" she cheered, clapping her hands and bouncing around me in a circle, "Dress-up, dress-up, dress-up!"

Fusako, who at two years did not quite grasp the concept of "dress-up," nevertheless followed her elder sister's lead, shrieking with laughter.

The cuteness was almost unbearable.

"Here we are, Shiina-sensei!" Kuniko trilled, skirting her daughters' antics and piling my arms with an impressive load of yukata of all different colors and patterns. "Now, let us see which one suits you best!"

"Hai..."

How, you might ask, had it come to this? My limited wardrobe was a consequence of my chosen occupation – I spent most of my time on the road, and my medicines took precedence over everything else. I had to content myself with the barest essentials of dress. Not that my kimono and yukata and such weren't serviceable enough, but I suppose in Kuniko's eyes, they were ill-fitting to whatever station she had imagined for me.

"Oh, this one is the wrong color – far too harsh!" Kuniko exclaimed disgustedly, immediately yanking out a bright red-dyed yukata with black square outlines imprinted on it. Aiko merrily caught the discarded item and began dancing around the room with it.

"Hm, this one...?" Kuniko held up a dark, navy blue and white-striped yukata and shook her head. "Too plain for you, I think. Besides, I am wearing one much like it and people will think it strange to have you dressing like you were my younger sister or some such thing."

Fusako was on hand for clothing pick-up.

"No... no... no... heavens, when on earth did I make _this_ one!... no... no... ah!"

I thought she was reacting to the bizarre pattern of the brown and yellow yukata that was next-to-last in the pile. She reached under it, thank goodness, and pulled out a lovely white yukata printed with a dark green bamboo pattern.

"Ah yes, this is _perfect!_" Kuniko breathed, holding it up to me excitedly. I saw that the white was stained in large patches of light green that became darker toward the hem, as if a giant brush with watery green ink had rolled down the cloth.

"Imagine, I almost made this one into rags because the dye was uneven," Kuniko commented, "But then I saw how it looked almost like an ink painting, mist around bamboo."

"It's very pretty," I agreed, running my hand down the collar, "Are you sure that I...?"

"Oh, of course, Shiina-sensei!" Kuniko interrupted emphatically, taking the other yukata from my hands and pressing the bamboo one into them, "The green brings out the color of your eyes so beautifully!" She winked. "Poor Kyo-dono! He's going to have to fend off your suitors with a stick!"

_'Or, in Kyo's case, his katana..._' "Arigato gozaimasu, Kuniko-san..."

"What is going on in here!"

I turned around and saw Nobio standing behind me, her hands on her hips and a stern look on her wizened face.

Aiko and Fusako immediately froze, mid-caper.

"Shiina-sensei had nothing appropriate to wear to the bon-odori tonight," Kuniko explained softly, respectfully, her hands fretting with the sleeve of the yukata, "I thought it would be best if I let her borrow this one."

Nobio frowned and came forward to examine the yukata. The rest of us held our breaths, waiting for her verdict.

"Kuniko-chan..." Nobio looked at her daughter-in-law. "Would not one of those hair ribbons Gyoushounin-san had be a perfect match to this?"

Kuniko's eyes lit up, much like Aiko's had. "Of course! There was one that...oh, and then there was the other one...but we'll have to hurry!" Without further ado, she grabbed me by the hand and literally dragged me out of the room, Aiko and Fusako hot on our heels. "The marketplace is closing down early today so that everyone can make their last visits to the cemetery before the bon-odori! If we do not catch Gyoushounin-san before he leaves...oh that would be just _horrendous_!"

"Wouldn't it?" I gasped. We were already at the front door, Kuniko holding out my geta as she shoved on her zori.

"No, Aiko-chan, Fusako-chan, you must stay and help your obaa-san with the food – Aiko, no pouting, or your face will freeze like that! Where is Gasuke-kun? Oh, never mind, I remember; he went to the shrine with ojii-san. Shall we, Shiina-sensei?" Kuniko had already thrown open the door and was waving at me to follow her.

"Coming!" I called, feeling like a little girl embarking on a trip to a sweet shop. Kuniko's unabashed excitement was somewhat infectious; I almost tripped over the stoop in my haste to follow her.

"Do not forget to ask Gyoushounin-san for a hitoe-obi, if he has one!" Nobio called after us, having corralled her still-protesting granddaughters back into the house.

"Hai!" Kuniko replied, managing to hurry across the courtyard at an impressive pace while still maintaining the seemliness and poise the wife of a samurai and daughter-in-law of a mayor ought to possess. I'm afraid I wasn't quite able to match her for dignity, but at least I caught up with her at the gate.

"Oi, woman! Where the hell are you going?"

I started and turned to see Kyo seated beneath the tree by the western wall of the courtyard. The children's efforts to try and engage him in "playtime" had been sufficient to drive him out of the house since earlier that morning.

"I..."

"We are going to the marketplace to buy Shiina-sensei some items for the bon-odori tonight!" Kuniko informed him briskly.

Kyo raised an eyebrow and started to get to his feet.

"Oh, no, Kyo-dono!" exclaimed Kuniko, wagging a finger at him like he was a little boy caught just before sneaking an extra daifuku, "You stay right there! This is women's business, and you are not to see any part of Shiina-sensei's outfit until tonight! Saa, Shiina-sensei, let us go!"

I got a momentary glimpse of Kyo's stunned expression before Kuniko whisked me out onto the street and shut the gate behind her.

-

"So, where exactly is the bon-odori tonight?" I asked Kuniko as we walked through the somewhat-crowded marketplace in search of Gyoushounin-san. I waved my hand in front of my face and wished for a fan; it was damned hot.

"Oh, it is out by the rice fields east of town," Kuniko answered, pausing momentarily to look at calligraphy scrolls on display in one booth, "The local shrine is near there and so is a field that we keep fallow for the festivals. The river is just beyond it. Oh, I almost forgot!" She hurried down a couple of stalls to reach the paper-maker's quarter. "I need to pick up the lanterns and fans I had made by Gosei-san; I will just duck in here," she pointed to the small storefront we had halted at, "for a moment to see if they are finished."

Without waiting for a response, she entered the store.

"Whew..." My first impression of Kuniko had been that she was just another meek, soft-voiced samurai's wife, always proper, and always discreet. It was only today that I was getting a glimpse of a side that she must only rarely show, that of young woman who still thrilled in the delights of life, greeting the new and bright with almost childlike joy.

She was also quite a determined woman, too, when it came down to it. When she set her mind to something, I found it only natural to go along. I smiled, wondering if her daughters and Gasuke were going to take after her...

_Whump!_

"Ah, sumimasen, sumimasen!"

I kept my balance only because I managed to plant my hand on the doorframe beside me. I turned and came practically nose-to-nose with the young man who had collided with me. His black hair was pulled back in a short topknot and his clothing rather resembled the garb of a Shinto priest: green haori slit at the shoulders to show the white juban beneath and grey hakama. He also carried a bulky leather bag over one shoulder, tied with fine red and gold tasseled rope.

"Are you all..." His eyes went wide and I was surprised to see that the right one was jade-green, while the other was granite-grey. "Rah-ah-ah...!"

I thought he was about to faint; the poor kid turned chalk-white and backed away from me, like I was some horrifying specter. "Is something wrong?" I asked him, mystified by his reaction.

He made a choking noise, then turned and ran, almost knocking down several people in his flight. He was gone before I could get out another word. "What the...?" I blinked and frowned, checking quickly behind me to see if perhaps he had been reacting to something else and I had only been an innocent bystander.

No such luck though, unless there are people in this world who are scared witless by the sight of a rice-paper window.

"Hmph..."

"Is something the matter, Shiina-sensei?" Kuniko had just stepped out of the shop and was looking at me quizzically. I noticed several other people were giving me puzzled looks, and no doubt several were muttering about just what I might have done to scare a little boy into running away like a rabbit.

"Oh, nothing, nothing!" I laughed, waving the matter away (and hopefully distracting her from the mutterings), "I take it the lanterns and fans are ready?"

"Yes, they are." Kuniko smiled. "We will come back later and pick them up, but for now, let us go and find Gyoushounin-san."

The old peddler, as it turned out, was leaving the tea house just outside the marketplace. When Kuniko began describing the yukata, he immediately took the huge pack off his back and sat down at the roadside so he could look through his wares.

"Sounds like a right pretty yukata, mistress," he cackled, unrolling a bundle of thick cotton cloth that protected some of his merchandise, "I think I have just the thing for the young healer-woman."

His gnarled hands winnowed through the rainbow assortment of silk, cotton, and linen ribbons, and came up with flowing, white and jade-green length of silk. The two colors ran together much like the colors of Kuniko's yukata, white nearest the center of the ribbon, the darkest green near the ends.

"Oh, that's so pretty!" I said, taking it from him and feeling the smoothness of the silk.

"It will only cost you one ryo!" Gyoushounin-san informed me.

"One ryo!" I echoed, almost dropping the ribbon. I frowned at him. "Gyoushounin-san, don't think for one instant that I will pay such an outrageous price! Fifty mon, take or leave it!"

Gyoushounin-san's smile turned into a frown. "Don't be insulting!" he snapped, the wheedling tone out of his voice.

"That little scrap is not worth more than twenty mon!" Kuniko observed coldly, "Shiina-sensei, perhaps we had better just go back to the marketplace; I think Fujimai-san has some ribbons left from the last festival he would gladly sell to you for a _reasonable_ price."

Gyoushounin-san puffed his cheeks out irately. "Mistress thinks too highly of that _rag_ merchant!" he sputtered, "I got a good look at that stock of his, and I can tell you that _nothing_ in it could possibly interest a lady of good breeding!"

"Does he sell obi also?" I asked Kuniko, pretending I hadn't heard him, "Perhaps he will give me a special discount for buying a set."

"Oh, that is an excellent idea!" Kuniko trilled, "In fact, I am certain he would." She turned back toward the marketplace and I made to follow her.

"Fine, I'll let you have it for five hundred mon!" cried the peddler desperately, "And look! I'll also sell you this high-quality hitoe-obi for only four hundred!" He held up a linen hitoe-obi that was dyed bright yellow.

"Hmph!" was my answer, "I could get something like that from Fujimai-san for _much_ less!"

Gyoushounin-san was in a state of near apoplexy. "Fine! Ruin me, if you must!" He bunched the ribbon and obi together and thrust them out at me, his dark eyes flashing with rage. "I will _give _these to you together, for the low price of eight hundred mon!"

"Make it four hundred, and you have a deal," I responded instantly, speaking over my shoulder as I began to walk away.

"Aaaaaaargh!" The peddler bared his teeth, his hands clasping and unclasping spasmodically.

I smirked and waved to Kuniko, who was watching him with a touch of anxiety creeping over her features. "Let's go," I said.

"_FINE! ALL RIGHT!_" Gyoushounin-san practically screamed, "Five hundred mon! That's my final offer - you're going to beggar me enough as it is! I hope you're happy!"

I simply smiled at him and took my wallet out of my kimono. I counted out five small silver, hundred-mon coins onto the cloth, and he thrust the articles of clothing into my hand.

"Pleasure to do business with you!" I told him pleasantly. He glowered darkly and bent down to retrieve the money and repack his wares.

"My, Shiina-sensei, that was quite remarkable!" Kuniko commented once we were out of earshot and amid the bustle of the marketplace, "I thought my mother-in-law was a ruthless customer, but you might be able to teach her a thing or two!"

"Hm?" I asked, trying to make it sound casual, though truthfully, I wanted to laugh out loud. I had just gotten one of the sweetest deals in my life. Never let it be said that Shiina Yuya wasn't an expert bargainer!

If I had had any idea how important those little scraps of silk and linen were going to be, I would have turned around then and there and handed Gyoushounin-san my wallet...

-

"Ne, Kyo?"

"Hn?"

I sighed. "Try to look a _little_ cheerful at least, could you?"

Kyo looked up at me. "How am I not looking cheerful?"

I sighed again. Maybe I was asking for the impossible, but still... "I'm not asking you to smile or anything," I said, carefully crouching down beside him on the ground because I didn't want to get Kuniko's yukata dirty, "But I noticed that everyone's been making a wide berth around this end of the field. Maybe it's because you're holding your katana like you're about to whip it out and slay someone..."

Kyo snorted.

"...or maybe it's because you keep glaring about like, oh, I don't know... like you're expecting one of the townspeople to suddenly attack you with their fans." I laughed, hoping it would put him more at ease.

No dice. "If they have a problem with the way I look," Kyo said lowly, "that's on their own damn heads."

"But...!"

"Did you just come over here to nag me or are you tired of dancing? If so, we can leave."

I rolled my eyes and got to my feet. "Hmph! And stop making Gasuke-kun fetch your sake for you! He's just a little boy and you're taking advantage of his hero-worship!" I scolded, feeling childish. Honestly, I knew I wasn't making the situation any better. Asking Kyo to lighten up (especially considering what he had told me last night) was like expecting the Toyotomi and Tokugawa to throw away their swords – pointless and frustrating. But was it too much for me to expect him to try and have a little fun before everything became life-or-death serious?

Thank Kami-sama I hadn't even thought about asking him to join the dancing...

"What's so funny?" Kyo asked in a suspicious tone.

"Oh, nothing, nothing!" I bit the inside of my cheek to keep my laughter in check; if Kyo ever knew the mental image that had flashed before my eyes just then...

"Hn." With that dismissive grunt, Kyo went right back to his obsessive scanning of the crowd.

I successfully resisted the urge to hit him on the head with my fan. Instead, I stalked away toward the bonfire – the opposite end of the field from Kyo.

The bonfire burned energetically on the northern end of the space – nearest the river, which I thought was good thinking on the festival organizers' part. Many of the children had gravitated to it, but all were being kept well back from the captivating flames by their vigilant elders. The musicians had been set up on a raised platform on one corner of the field almost abreast the bonfire, and were striking up another dance tune. I hadn't recognized any of them as yet, but that was of no surprise; every region, every town and village even, has their own traditional bon-odori-uta.

This one consisted mainly of fast-paced, rhythmic pounding from the two huge taiko, accompanied by shakuhachi and hichiriki. The words, being sung enthusiastically by both men and women as they danced in alternating rings around each other, spoke of a romantic tale from the time of legend – that of Yamato Takeru-ooji-sama and Miyazu-hime-sama and how Yamato's aunt gave him the wondrous weapons from Amaterasu-megami-sama at the Ise shrine to accomplish his quests and marry the princess.

I entered the outside ring, learning the dance steps as I went by watching the better dancers near the center. This was the way I had been doing it all night, but now I think I was getting the hang of the basic moves. Step right, step left, half-turn raising the fan over my head, forward hop-skip, clap twice, and...

"Yuya! I've been looking for you all night! I thought you'd gone back on your promise!"

"Well, I really didn't promise anything," I said cheerfully, purposefully following the woman in front of me as the movements repeated, knowing it would take me away from Touji, who was going in the opposite direction.

Or, at least, he should have been. "Doesn't matter, since you're here now, Yuya," he said, breaking out of his ring and joining mine.

"Whatever you say," I replied, purposefully not looking at him and pretending I was too wrapped up in the dance to pay attention to him.

Unfortunately for me, the music ended just then. The townspeople laughed and clapped, cheering both the musicians and themselves.

"You dance quite well, Yuya," Touji murmured, drawing close as people either left the dance space for refreshments or awaited the next song, talking and laughing excitedly. He reached out and not-quite touched one of the locks of my hair that Kuniko had purposefully let drape loosely from my ponytail. "You are quite easily the loveliest woman here tonight..."

"Uh, thanks..." I looked about for something, anything that could get me away. I briefly considered rejoining Kyo, but given Touji's pattern of denseness, he'd probably follow me and end up insulting Kyo again.

I didn't dislike the kid enough to do that to him.

"Shiina-sensei, there you are! Come here, I want to introduce you to Takeuchi-san, who is the wife of the head of the shotenkai of Tokubo...!" So saying, Kuniko grabbed me by the arm and dragged me through the idled dancers, weaving in and out of the crowd like a perch through a stream. Touji wasn't quite quick enough to give chase.

"Thank you so much!" I gasped as we neared the musician's platform, just in time for the next dance to begin. Luckily, the large taiko drummers were sitting this one out, so I didn't have to shout at her. "I managed to keep away from him most of the evening, but I guess he finally caught up with me!"

Kuniko laughed and sat down on the edge of the platform, indicating that I should do so also. "Touji-kun is just a little more exuberant than most young men, Shiina-sensei. I noticed you were getting plenty of admiring looks since the evening began."

"Well, I don't mean to talk badly about the men in this town," I said, taking my seat, "but it seemed every time I got near one of them, they got spooked by something and avoided me." _'Though it wasn't as bad as that kid earlier today, thank goodness!'_ I added privately.

"Hm, that probably had to do with the way Kyo-dono was glaring at any of the men who came near you," Kuniko said with a smile.

I blinked.

"Oh, you did not notice? I may not be an expert on your...protector's moods or expressions, but he was clearly giving everyone a "stay-away-or-die" look. And add in the effect of the firelight and his red hair, he looked scary enough to be an oni! Thank goodness he is not wearing his armor!" She laughed again.

"You don't say..." I said weakly. That sounded odd, _really_ odd for Kyo. He wasn't the raging jealous type. No matter how I might tease him, Kyo couldn't care less if a guy hit on me. I mean, he trusted me enough to leave me with Taka-sensei and to attend to the wounded in Kashikojima and to come to Tokubo on my own...

_'Yes, but all those times, you weren't really in a place with a lot of men to pay attention to you, were you? Taka-sensei's mountain, where it was just sensei, me, and a bunch of trees. Kashikojima itself was practically empty of men because of the Akaisora-shuu, and Kyo didn't know I had gone to Tokubo until he got back...'_

Kyo couldn't possibly be that insecure, right? I frowned, blocking out the sound of Kuniko's chattering and the music of the shakuhachi and the laughter of the dancers. Kyo was worried about something... or maybe troubled was a better word for it. Maybe his recent behavior was just a manifestation of his concerns for whatever danger was looming on the horizon.

Maybe...

"I should have done a better job about warning that idiot off from trying to talk to you."

"Kyo!" I yelped, startled out of my thoughts by his sudden appearance in front of me. I held a hand over my chest. "Don't _do _that!"

"This is what I mean about you being oblivious," Kyo snorted, turning his attention to the dancers. I saw his eyes narrow at Touji, who was waving to me to join him.

...or maybe I was reading too much into him and he really was acting the part of the over-bearing, "my-woman" male-type.

"Ara, ara, Kyo-dono!" Kuniko exclaimed before I could say something I would probably regret, "If you are so anxious to keep Shiina-sensei by your side, you should join her dancing!"

I managed to cover my giggles with a spate of coughing as Kyo regarded Kuniko with a perfect dead-pan.

"You could at least compliment her on how pretty she looks tonight," Kuniko sniffed, poking him with the tip of her fan, "A woman should be told these things, even if the man is content only to stare at her. Did you know, Shiina-sensei," here she turned to me and spoke as though Kyo wasn't right there in front of her, "whenever he is not glaring at those men foolish enough to approach you, he has been watching you like a man who has seen the sun or the moon for the first time!"

"Has he?" I asked, glancing up at Kyo.

Kyo's reaction earlier this evening had been disappointing, to say the least. After all the effort Kuniko, Nobio, and Aiko (who had contributed enthusiasm, if nothing else) had put into my appearance, I had expected maybe a smile from him when we stepped out to present ourselves to the menfolk. Gasuke's jaw had gone slack, and Dazai-san had grinned and congratulated Kyo on having such a lovely companion. All I got from Kyo was a blank stare and then he'd started walking off in front of the party, not even waiting for me.

Then again, if Kyo ever told me I was beautiful, I'd think he was coming down with the plague or something else equally horrendous.

"It's time to leave," Kyo announced in clipped tones, reaching down to grab me by the arm.

"What! Kyo, no, I don't want to...!" Despite my protests, I was hauled to my feet, Kuniko's exclamation of dismay ringing out behind me.

"Don't argue with me!" Kyo hissed in my ear.

Just then, a troop of heavily armed horsemen burst into the firelight, the hooves of the leader sending one of the base logs of bonfire trundling into the surprised townspeople who had been unfortunate enough to be standing nearby. The bonfire itself began to collapse, scattering sparks and bits of lighted wood every which way.

"Shit," Kyo snarled, releasing me and unsheathing his katana as pandemonium exploded, the townsfolk screaming and running from the horsemen that bore down on them with blade and spear.

One instant, Kyo was standing next to me, and the next he wasn't – and the head of the nearest horseman went flying as Kyo shouted a challenge to the other attackers.

They turned on him in an instant, leaving the civilians an opportunity to flee.

"Kuniko-san, get out of here!" I yelled to her, grabbing her by the shoulders and dragging her around the edge of the stage where at least there was some shelter. I pulled her to the ground as the roar of battle erupted over the chaos of the screaming townsfolk.

Kuniko's face was a pale mask of shock. "Hey, now, don't faint on me!" I exclaimed, giving her a good shake, "It'll be all right, ne? Kyo shouldn't have any problem dealing with them. Everyone's going to go home with just a bit of a scare and Gasuke's going to hero-worship Kyo even more..." Then something horrific occurred to me. "Kuniko-san, where are your children!"

"Children?" Kuniko echoed dazedly. Her eyes went wide. "_GASUKE! AIKO! FUSAKO!"_

I had to throw myself on top of her to keep her from running out onto the field. "They're all right, I'm sure they're all right!" I yelled at her, both trying to reason with her and to keep my own panic from taking hold, "Kuniko-san, you can't...!"

Never underestimate maternal instinct. I might have had her pinned, but Kuniko fought back like a wild animal. Her right hook to my temple was enough to stun me momentarily, long enough for her to shove me away and shoot to her feet. I had wits enough to grab hold of her arm, using her for leverage to stand up.

"_Let me go!"_ she screamed, trying to jerk free as her panicked eyes, normally so soft and serene, scanned the burning debris for any sign of her children.

I did the only thing I could do: I socked her in the temple. "Gomen nasai, Kuniko-san," I said as I caught her limp body. Thank goodness she wasn't much bigger than me or it would have been a hassle to drag her back to safety.

Only after I had laid Kuniko out on the ground beside the stage did I turn to look at Kyo. Immediately, I felt a cold wash of dread spill over me. Kyo was still standing, yes, but so were three of the horsemen. They had arranged themselves around him like three points of a triangle, Kyo in the center. Right away, I could tell they had done so purposefully – each were just outside of Kyo's maai, so he could only attack one of them at a time.

And when that happened...

"For the last time, samurai," one of the horsemen, the one at the furthest point of the triangle from me, bellowed, "Surrender or be destroyed!"

Kyo laughed his patented "you're-a-dead-man-you-just-don't-know-it" laughs, and I reflected that Kuniko's earlier observation about him looking like an oni was quite correct. "Quit your yapping – a pack of dogs that have gone mad are fit only to be slaughtered," he retorted.

"Why you...!" The horseman who had been so insulted almost broke the formation, urging his mount forward.

"Don't move, fool! Better you die now than give him an opening!" The hissing voice that snapped like a lash from the horseman nearest me was cold, almost inhuman. My heart felt like it had been seized by an icy vice. _'What manner of samurai is he?'_ His armor was the same as his comrades – black lacquered leather over plates of iron, an iron helm on his head from which sprouted two stylized horns bathed blood-red in the firelight and a dark mask over his face. Nothing unusual there, so why...? Then I noticed that he wielded a dai-katana – even unhorsed, he would have the same reach as Kyo. Mounted, however...

The first horseman, at his comrade's harsh command, froze as though he and his horse had suddenly been cast into stone.

"I'm not going to stand here all night, dammit," Kyo said disgustedly, turning his attention to the cold-voiced horseman, "Either come at me, or I'll come to you. You have five seconds to decide."

"I didn't know ronin could be so generous," mocked the horseman, making a sound like blades being run through gravel – I guessed he was laughing.

Kyo raised an eyebrow. "One... two..."

I saw the first horseman make a movement, but Kyo kept on counting. "... three ..."

The horse stepped forward. _'Turn around Kyo!'_ my mind screamed, _'Can't you tell what's happening!' _He was going to charge, I just knew it!

"... four ..."

Kyo just stood there, _counting!_ I couldn't stand it any longer. _"KYO! Look out behind you!"_

Three things happened in the instant it took the echoes of my scream to fade: Kyo's head snapped in my direction, the first horseman and his horse crumbled lifelessly to the ground, and the third horseman, who had remained silent all this time, leapt from his mount's back as easily as a hunting cat, his long spear aimed straight at Kyo.

_'Oh no...!'_ I ran forward – call it temporary insanity or whatever, but everything in me was screaming to stop that spear, to catch it before it reached Kyo.

Thankfully, I had some guardian kami with me, or my stupidity might have gotten us both killed. Something big and _heavy_ slammed into me; I dimly heard something like a child's whistle, and felt a gentle breeze stir my bangs as I fell. I hit the ground so hard that my vision exploded in dark starbursts.

Struggling to draw breath, I lay face-down on the hard earth, until my poor abused brain suggested that it might be easier to inhale if dirt wasn't shoved up my nostrils. I managed to roll onto my side, just in time to avoid getting trampled by iron-shod horse's hooves. I decided it would be a very good idea to let momentum do with me as it willed and just kept rolling, until my back hit the projection of the musicians' stage. Shakily, I got to my feet, holding my head and groaning.

The sound of metal clanging against metal brought me to my senses like a splash of cold water. _'Kyo!'_ He was still alive, fighting the now-dismounted silent horseman. Spear and katana flashed and danced in the firelight, blurs of flame in themselves, their wielders scarlet-limned shadows. _'Why doesn't he just cut it?'_ I found myself thinking, on the verge of panic; Kyo was hard-pressed, even I could see that. _'Why doesn't the Muramasa blade just cut through that spear!'_

So intent was I on Kyo's duel that I didn't notice the nearer one until it was practically on top of me. A horse screamed in pain and a shout of, "Yuya-san!" was all the warning I had. I instinctively leapt up onto the platform and backpedaled from the edge. The wounded horse crashed to the ground where I had been standing, moments before. Its rider rose to his feet, apparently unharmed. To my horror, I understood then why he had been masked: sharp, oozing canines were bared as he snarled, like a wolf or dog. His eyes were empty of anything even remotely human – blazing, yellow, bloodthirsty eyes that belonged to a starving animal. And they were fixated on me.

I didn't have anything to defend myself. No revolver, no needles, not even a damned stick. I raised my fists and he smirked at me, feral mockery glinting in his bestial eyes.

I was going to die, and he was going to enjoy killing me.

"Fuck you," I told him.

"I see traveling with Kyo has done detriment to your vocabulary." A tall, broad shadow interposed itself between me and the man-beast. Only it wasn't a shadow, it was a man, and I recognized his voice.

"Migeira-san?" I asked in bewilderment.

Migeira didn't answer, because the man-beast roared in anger and attacked. Migeira blocked the down-swinging dai-katana with... a monk's staff?

_'Huh?'_

"Begone, demon!" Migeira shouted, throwing the man-beast and his katana back with a sweep of his shakujou, "Hisui, withdraw with Shiina Yuya-san!"

_'Huh!'_

"Please excuse the request, Yuya-dono, but you really ought to stand behind me."

I whirled around and saw the green-and-grey-eyed boy from that afternoon smiling at me pleasantly, a shakuhachi raised nearly to his lips. "I must assist my uncle."

_'HUH!'_

The boy stepped forward and began to play. The low, mellow notes of the flute rang out clearly, like the wind dancing through bamboo. Wild, clear, pure music, old as song and so beautiful and sad I could almost weep.

The man-beast, however, did not have the same appreciation I did. Screaming in agony, he recoiled from Migeira, dropping his weapon and covering his ears as he fell on his knees. I looked over to Kyo, and saw that his opponent was reacting in much the same manner.

"Be at peace," Migeira murmured, raising the shakujou over his head and driving the sharpened point of the ferrule through the man-beast's throat. The creature's tortured wailings died in a gurgling moan as dark blood bubbled out of his gaping jaws that continued to work soundlessly. I clasped a hand over my mouth, horrified.

And then, he... changed. His teeth shrank and the sharp edges disappeared; his eyes became a muted brown in which one could plainly see the flickering spark of a human spirit being extinguished. With great effort, his lips formed the word, "arigatou," before he slumped forward, collapsing lifelessly on the stage at Migeira's feet.

"What...?" I managed, staring down at the body, "What's going on here?"

The boy sounded one, last, sonorous note before lowering his instrument. "We apologize most sincerely for involving you in this, Yuya-dono," he answered, tears seeping from his eyes as he turned to me.

"We will of course explain, but for now..." Migeira began.

"Yuya!"

"Kyo!" Confusion could be tossed aside for the moment; someone else mattered a great deal more. "Kyo!" I pushed past Migeira and the boy, running off the stage and leaping into Kyo's arms. "I'm so sorry! Are you all right!"

"Tch, as if that rabid dog could get the better of me," he snorted irritably. He was soaked with sweat and I smelt the all-too-familiar scent of fresh blood on him.

"Kyo, you're wounded!"

"It's nothing for you to be shouting your head off about," was Kyo's irritated response, but I had already pulled away from him so I could examine his body for wounds. There were several superficial cuts on his arms and one across his collarbones. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Then I saw that his black yukata had been rent in a long swathe down his left thigh; blood had soaked the cloth and was streaming down his leg.

"Sit down, right now!" I told him, pulling him toward the stage.

He made a stubborn face, obviously annoyed that I had disregarded him and was making a fuss over something he probably deemed a minor flesh wound. Stopping short, he glared up at Migeira and the boy. "What the hell are you doing here, Migeira? And who's the brat?"

The boy stepped forward and bowed low. "Please pardon my rudeness," he said sincerely, "My name is Hisui and my uncle and I have a matter of grave importance to discuss with you."

Kyo was not pleased. "'Importance,' huh?" he mimicked derisively. He thrust his blood-stained katana out at Hisui, who went crossed-eyed trying to focus on the tip a hairsbreadth from his nose. "Fuck 'importance' and fuck you, brat!"

"Kyo!" I gasped, shocked at his actions. I grabbed his sword hand, trying to get him to lower his weapon.

"You have every right to be upset, Kyo," Migeira spoke up, "But do not take your anger out on Hisui. It was I who advised our course of action." He hadn't made any move to pull Hisui out of danger, and I wondered if he was simply trying not to provoke Kyo any further.

"Are you that interested in getting your head handed to you?" Kyo retorted, "I don't appreciate being spied on."

"I apologize," Migeira said quickly, "But there were extenuating circumstances, which we will gladly explain if you lower your weapon."

Kyo frowned and I held my breath. After what seemed like eternity, Kyo pulled his katana back from Hisui's face, flicked the blood off to one side, and sheathed it. "Talk," he ordered.

Hisui nodded, and as though the last minute hadn't happened, he smiled and said, "Might I suggest, Kyo-dono, that you allow your companion to attend to your wound first?"

Kyo blinked and looked down at me, as if suddenly remembering that I had been there the whole time.

"Please, Kyo," I said.

Kyo grimaced but sat down.

I tore the cloth of his yukata the rest of the way to the hem so I could tend to the wound. Looking closely at it, I could see it was less serious than I had first assumed. If it had been any deeper, though, Kyo probably would have lost too much blood beforehand for my skills to have made a difference. It would probably need stitches, but that sort of equipment was back at Dazai-san's house. Right now, I just needed to stop the bleeding.

"What are you doing?" Kyo demanded as I began untying my obi.

"Do you _want_ to bleed out right here?" I snapped at him, yanking the meters of yellow linen loose from my waist; there was a second, cotton sash beneath it, so it wasn't like I was sacrificing my modesty.

"Hn." Kyo's eyes fixed themselves on some far away distance as I wound the obi around the gash. It would be a temporary measure only, something to staunch the flow of blood until we could walk back to Dazai-san's house.

I managed to keep the tears from falling until I tied the makeshift bandage securely in place. I grit my teeth and swore internally, grinding the heels of my now-bloodied palms into my eyes to keep them at bay as I got to my feet. "Listen, Kyo..." I forced myself to take a deep breath and take my hands from my face. "I'm sorry. If I hadn't screamed like that..."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

I stared at him. "But when I screamed, you looked over at me and..."

"I underestimated the bastard, that's all," Kyo interrupted sharply, "Your screaming had nothing to do with it."

"But..."

"It had nothing to do with it," he said with finality, "so don't start crying again. It's pathetic."

I felt like I had been slapped; Kyo's eyes widened incrementally before he looked away with a disgusted "tch!"

"Ano, Yuya-dono?" I started and looked up at Hisui, who looked mightily chagrinned. "Ano, there are others who were wounded before Kyo-dono diverted the marauders' attention. I can assist you, if you need my help attending to them."

"Oh, right..." I managed, trying not to look at Kyo. Suddenly, I remembered something. Or rather, _someone_. "Kuniko-san!"

"She is all right," Migeira interjected before I could move, "She is still unconscious, but I doubt you caused her any lasting harm." He gestured out over the field, and I saw that more than a few people were either lying out on the ground or wandering about, dazed by shock. "I too, shall assist you."

"Yes, thank you," I said to him, not looking at Kyo. He clearly didn't need me for the time being.

-

As it turned out, there were numerous casualties, but none severe enough to be fatal. Kyo's quick reaction had saved everyone from that. I treated several cases of mildly serious burns, scrapes, and bruisings, cuts that required some stitching, and in one instance, a mild concussion.

Most everyone had escaped unharmed into their houses. The guard had been marshaled on the belief that the entire town was under attack, but they had been far too late to be of any use other than to stir everyone up again. The town itself suffered no damage, but I was later told that the shrine on the outskirts of town had been put to the torch and the elderly priest who had attended it was missing and feared dead.

In all there had been only ten horsemen; that number in and of itself and the quality and uniformity of the gear worn by the two beast-men made me wonder if the attack had really been a random bandit raid or something else more sinister.

I found out later that Kuniko needn't have worried about her children; Aiko and Fusako had tired out rather soon into the bon-odori and had been taken home to bed by Nobio. Gasuke turned up later on – he had been playing down by the river with several friends who, bored by the dancing, were trying to see how far out a lantern boat could float if the entire structure was lit on fire. Dazai-san quickly sent him back to the house to retrieve my medicine chest.

A nearby storehouse was converted into an infirmary, but luckily, no one required an extended stay.

An hour before dawn, the last bandage had been tied and the last dose of medicine had been drunk and the wicks in the lanterns were burning low. Needless to say, I was more than a little tired and sorely tempted just to collapse on one of the futons that had been brought in for the wounded.

"Your master taught you quite well, Yuya-dono," a soft voice observed as I washed my hands, "It is rare to witness the work of one so dedicated to the healing craft."

I turned and saw Hisui giving me a warm, albeit tired smile. At first I had assumed his offer of help had been mere words. But he quickly proved otherwise; his adeptness at stitching and the careful manner in which he prepared and applied compresses to burns told me he had received some medical training of his own. "As was yours," I told him.

He cocked his head, looking puzzled. "I have obtained only the most rudimentary instruction, nothing to compare to your skill. Truth be told, I had to watch you very closely to ensure that I would not make a mistake. But I am thankful that I proved useful."

I had to laugh; he was so formal and serious, and he didn't look more than fourteen! "You're cute," I said stretching out my stiff muscles and yawning, "but you need to lighten up a bit or you'll be old before your time."

"Really?" he asked worriedly; his hand went to his cheek, as if he were expecting to feel wrinkles there. "I had not heard of such a thing!"

I laughed again. "Don't you know a joke when you hear one?" I asked him, restraining the urge to pinch his cheek. Hisui looked confused. "By the way, Hisui-kun, there's something I've been meaning to ask you," I continued.

"Yes?"

"Why on earth did you freak out like that when you saw me in the marketplace earlier?"

Hisui's eyes widened and his cheeks flushed scarlet. "I am terribly sorry about that, Yuya-dono," he said sheepishly, looking at the ground, "There are not words to excuse the manner of my rudeness."

"Well, I'm sure you can just try to explain it," I said reasonably.

"It is rather embarrassing..." Hisui mumbled, "My uncle had said that we needed to be very careful not to make ourselves known to either you or Kyo-dono until the time was right."

"Okay..." I prompted him as he hesitated.

Hisui bit his lip. "He made it sound as though to do so would be a most egregious error that could not be amended. So when by chance I literally stumbled on you outside that store, I thought I had completely ruined everything!"

"Hisui-kun, you are far too hard on yourself," I told him, chuckling in disbelief. Honestly, could anybody be so naive?

"Also, you were a lot more beautiful in person than what I had seen before," he mumbled.

"What did you say?" I asked him, wondering if I heard correctly.

"Hisui!" Migeira stalked into the room, saving Hisui from having to answer. Kyo was close behind him. I looked down at the ground; Kyo's wound had required several stitches, but he had said nothing to me while I was attending to him. Obviously, he hadn't thought it worth his while. "It is time we told them."

"Right," Hisui agreed. I think he was trying to look as serious as his uncle (Migeira an uncle? I was just now acquainting myself with the bizarre concept and wasn't having an easy time of it...). He managed only to look slightly forlorn and even younger.

"About damn time!" Kyo snorted, electing to sit down on the first available futon, right by the door. I took my place beside my now nearly-empty medicine chest, while Migeira leaned back against the wall beside me.

"Kyo-dono," Hisui began, "you have doubtless sensed the approaching time of discord. But you cannot know that, even now, the greater darkness is nigh upon us. No wars will compare to the destruction and sorrow it will bring. I beg you, for the sake of this land, help us to defeat this evil."

-

Narrator here. Questions are about to be answered, but more importantly, what will Kyo choose to do? What new trials will he, and Yuya, have to face before this is over? And what part does Migeira and the young Hisui play in all of this?

...well, that's what the next chapter is for. I sure as heck am not going to tell you right now!

-

**Music for this chapter:**

Vivaldi's _Opus 10, Concerto for Flute no. 4, F, VI, no.15_

Katsutoshi Nagasawa's _Sattou (Wind Dance)_

Vivaldi's _Four Seasons, L'Estate (Presto)_

Nezasa-ha Honyoku's_ Shirabe-Sariha (Sound of Wind through Bamboo Leaves)_

_-_

**Dictionary:**

_"ano" –_ loosely, "um" or "excuse me."

_"sumimasen" – _loosely, "Please excuse me" or "I beg your pardon."

_"gomen (nasai)" – _"I am (very) sorry."

_"arigatou (gozaimasu)" – _"Thank you (very much)."

_Gyoushounin-san:_ literally, "Mr. Peddler." It was actually somewhat rare for members of the lower class in early Tokugawa society to have personal names; most often, they were referred to by their occupation and/or the town/village of their birth.

_zori:_ platform sandals for women

_geta:_ wooden stilted sandals with thongs. Yuya's a really tough chick to be huffing along in those things all the time, as they aren't the most comfortable footwear...

_hitoe-obi:_ unlined obi for summer wear. If you aren't sure what an obi is, it's the long sash worn outside the kimono around the waist to keep it in place. A woman's social status and even occupation (ex: geisha) could be determined by the length and elaborateness of her obi.

_haori_ kinda like an overcoat-kimono.

_oshire_ Japanese-style closet with a sliding door.

_ryo, mon:_ units of currency. A ryo is a gold coin, while mon are small silver or copper coins. I am not clear on the ryo:mon ratio so I hedged my bets and valued it as 1 ryo:1000 copper mon.

_shotenkai:_ "merchants' association" or "guild"

_bon-odori-uta:_ lit. "bon-odori-songs"

_taiko:_ drum; can range in size from 1 m. in diameter to small, hip-carried instruments, but for the purpose of this story, Yuya refers to the large "O-daiko."

_shakuhachi: _bamboo instrument, lacquered inside, with five holes (four above and one thumb hole below) – pretty much a hollow tube one must play using only the bottom lip over the smaller top opening to provide the "voice"; similar in sound to a bassoon or Incan siku (you really need to hear one to decide for yourself!)

_hichiriki_: smaller bamboo flute with nine holes (five above and two thumb holes below); played with a reed mouthpiece, unlike the shakuhachi; similar in sound to a recorder or even a piccolo or fife (again, you have to hear it to determine your opinion)

_Yamato Takeru-ooji-sama, Miyazu-hime-sama:_ this tale can be found among the Japanese mythical canon. "Prince" Yamato Takeru is a legendary figure who was the actual son of the twelfth emperor of Japan, Keikou. His story is told in the _Kojiki_ (the semi-mythical "Record of Ancient Matters" 712 AD that chronicles the "history" of Japan's imperial dynasty, the Yamato, from creation until contemporary time) and in _Nihon Shoki _("History of Japan" 720 AD). He is a tragic hero, much like the Greek Hercules. "Princess" Miyazu is his second wife.

_Amaterasu:_ Goddess of the Sun and the central deity of the Shinto pantheon. The imperial line is supposedly immediately descended from her.

_oni:_ "demon" or, more literally, "ogre."

_maai:_ distance between two swordsmen, but more specifically, the effective reach of a swordsman. Yuya means that Kyo would have to close distance with any one of the swordsmen to fight them successfully.

_dai-katana:_ horse/cavalry sword; usually the longest length for a katana and most effective for mounted samurai. Which begs the question, how good would Kyo fight on horse back?

_shakujou:_ general term for almost any bladed staff weapon. In Migeira's case, imagine a 2.5 meter staff topped with a configuration of a large sharp metal ring bearing several smaller rings (much like a traditional Buddhist monk staff, only a weapon). The sharpened point at the base of the staff ("ferrule") is not strict Japanese terminology, but I imagine Migeira wouldn't be averse to having a two-ended weapon! (.)

_Additional Sources_: Iai: The Art of Drawing the Sword by Darrell Max Craig

The Music and Musical Instruments of Japan by Sir Francis Piggott

-

**To My Reviewers:**Needless to say, I am gratified that all of you are so supportive of my work. (sniff!) It's enough to make an authoress cry...

**Lady of Genesis:** My Japanese isn't all that great either - I've only had one semester. Anywho, glad you like the fic; and yes, Kyo's going to put on the moves, but that doesn't mean Yuya can't have a thing or two up her sleeve. Ohohohoho!

**Christina:** Thank you! I agree with you - the dearth of SDK fics is certainly criminal. That was the main reason I got up the courage to publish this story.

**Lady Water 2010:**Merri Kurisumasu, Mizu 2010-sama! (bows) You're very welcome, and I hope you like this chapter, since it really starts into the plot.

**Placid Snowflake: **Why do I get the impression that you're one of those reviewers who hates cliffhangers? I'm terribly sorry to have left you with this one, but I promise to get the next installment out in due time! And don't worry about your mom; Iget funny looks all the time...

**Triste1: **Thank you for your generous assessment of my ability to portray characters! You're the reason I went back and rechecked my first chapter. I did catch a few of the mistakes you alluded to, but it really would be helpful if you could be a bit more specific. Lord knows I need the help - I've read through it so many times that my brain just gets lazy and I glide over my screw-ups like they aren't even there. It helps to have a fresh pair of eyes, but durnit, it means more work for me!

**animegirl 1047:** (O.O) You say your imouto is just like Kanashimi? (crosses herself) Sweet Muses of Comedy and tragedy preserve us, another Kanashimi!

**(Kanashimi:** And just what, pray tell dear onee-sama, is wrong with having another me around?

**Narrator:** The fact that there is another omnipotent, omniscient, whip-cracking, duct-tape wielding, bishonen-torturing, guilt-tripping, blackmailing personification of evil and cuteness out there somewhere doesn't disturb you?

**Kanashimi:** Just as long as she leaves Pookie and Sesshy-poo alone, no.

**Narrator: ...)**

As for Kyo being jealous, well... I guess this chapter might answer that! (grins) And no, I'm still not going to tell you what Akira said to me. You'll find out in due time.

**Genjy0-Sanz0:** Yay, I've redeemed myself!

**luna-magic-2005:** Yes, I know I'm awesome. (preens)

**(Kanashimi:** Good Lord, the last thing you need is another ego trip.

**Narrator:** (death-glare) In any case, thank you!)

**kitsune55:** After what I said in the author's notes, I hoped I had made myself clear that there is no way in hell I'm going to leave you hanging like that. I'm not that cruel! Well... not _always_... sometimes I am... especially when it's amusing... Like you asking me about Yukimura and Benitora: It's a secret! Buahahahahahaha!

**nekozuki1776: **I don't make a habit of creating original characters, but because of the extent of this fic, it proved necessary. I am glad you find them intriguing. I may or may not do a series of "prelude" vignettes to give everyone an idea of Taka-sensei's relationship with Yuya other than just from Yuya's point of view. I hope you like the newest OC, Hisui, also!

**Arin Ross/Arain Rowan:** Yes, I did do a bit of background research into Japanese history and culture - call me a history geek, but I prefer accuracy when it comes to historical fiction (even though I know anime isn't really the place to look for it!). Fire in a grass field, huh? Yep, that's pretty much what this is going to be like...

**Ciara:** Well, I'm not about to write another "War and Peace," so of course I'm going to focus on Kyo and Yuya as much as possible. As for finishing... ano, the reference I made to "War and Peace" ought to give you a clue. Eheheh...

**sHi hUi: **Kanashimi made the observation that it seems I'm trying to be the next Ernest Hemingway. Nice to know _some_ people appreciate lyrical attention to detail. (glares significantly at Kanashimi)

**(Kanashimi:** (innocently) Hm?

**Narrator: **(disgusted sigh) Never mind...

**Starian Princess:** (wince) Great, now I have to keep up with everyone's expectations! Why couldn't I have just satisfied myself with being a humor writer, why, why, why, WHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

**(Kanshimi:** (thwacks her with a halisen) Because deep down, you're as much of a drama queen as the next fangirl, that's why, baka!

**Narrator: **(sniffle!) Kanashimi ga hidoi desu yo!

Salute!


	4. Largo

**Disclaimer:** Onime Kyo, Yuya, etc. aren't mine; they belong to the more talented Akimine Kamijyo who created _Samurai Deeper Kyo._ I can only claim credit for my OC's, Hisui and Taka-sensei.

-----------------------------------

**_Intermezzo_**

_Chapter 3: __Largo_

"...for the sake of this land, help us to defeat this evil."

I wanted it to be a joke. I wanted it to be some fanciful nightmare, dreamed up by a little boy afraid of things that go bump in the night. But Hisui's utter, too-mature seriousness and Migeira's grim expression made it a vain hope. More than that, though, was the manner in which Kyo listened, neither sneering nor frowning, accepting it all matter-of-factly.

I wondered just how much Migeira had told him while Hisui and I had been occupied tending to the wounded.

"From my uncle, you know that my clan has among its line seers to whom it has been revealed the ebb and flow of times yet to come. I, too, possess the gift of sight. Despite the fact that I was still relatively young, four months ago, my elders saw fit that I should undergo the ritual that would reveal the course of the future. The vision I received was all at once horrifying, puzzling, and hopeful. A time of darkness and chaos was rapidly approaching – a gate to the infernal regions of Jigoku would be forced open and the legions of Emma-O would cover the land in the dark of the first new moon of the coming autumn. The city of the Tokugawa, Edo, would be the first to fall, and the chaos would spread outward from there. Even Kyoto and Osaka castle, the seat of the Toyotomi, would not escape destruction. It seemed that the incident of three years ago was repeating itself..."

"But how?" I asked in disbelief, "Who could do such a thing? Kyo destroyed Nobunaga – he closed the gate forever. And Sakuya-san is the only person who can summon a demon gate, and she swore never to do so again!" I paused. "Wait...are you saying Sakuya-san has been kidnapped?!"

Hisui shook his head. "Thankfully, no. The Mibu, led Sakuya-sama, have withdrawn completely from intervening in this world's affairs. By her will, it has become impossible to seek them out, even if we wanted to consider such a course."

"But then...how?" I was at a loss.

"Sakuya-sama is undoubtedly the only living individual with the spiritual power to summon a demon gate. But that does not mean a determined _group_ of individuals cannot create a demon gate of their own. When Kyo-dono destroyed Nobunaga, the immediate threat of the demon gate was also destroyed – you are correct on that assumption, Yuya-dono. However, there still exists an imbalance, a rift in the flow of time, and this will taken advantage of. A castle can be rebuilt on the foundations of the fortress that was destroyed, and so shall this evil come into our world."

I had a headache. "I don't quite follow your logic," I admitted, "but that's beside the point. The way you're talking, I get the impression that this demon gate hasn't been opened or summoned or whatever it is you do with a demon gate to unleash unholy hell. So, I guess the best question is this: _who_ is going to open this gate, and just how do you expect Kyo to stop them? Better yet, why does it have to be Kyo?"

Hisui did not seem to be bothered by my questions. In fact, he became more relaxed, as if he and I were having a friendly conversation.

"As to the identity of those who are inviting this disaster, I know not. I only know that their motivation is deep, unquenchable hatred. These people, whoever they are, harbor enmity for the Tokugawa, and will do anything to annihilate them. Those men who..." Hisui bowed his head. "Those demons we were forced to kill last night, they had once been men. They accepted evil into their hearts and lost themselves for the sake of power, to become perfect killers. They are the agents of those who would call down an evil a hundredfold more terrible. I...we cannot stand idly by and allow souls to be perverted for the machinations of hatred and power."

He paused, reflecting. "Their desperate hate shall be their undoing, for no one can contain the powers of Hell once they are unleashed on this land.

"Kyo-dono must be the one to stop them," he continued, "because he was the one I saw in my vision. He is the hope I spoke of, he and three others. These four are to stand against the vanguard of Jigoku, and their victory or defeat shall determine the future. It is most fitting perhaps, that Kyo-dono is the one destiny has chosen for this task."

"And why is that?" Kyo's tone was deceptively neutral.

Hisui's composure broke for a moment, as though he had said aloud something he hadn't meant to. "Six years ago," Hisui explained carefully, "my uncle received a terrible vision, and set out on a quest to set to right the disruption in the course of the future he had seen. In this venture, he ultimately failed." Hisui paused and looked at Migeira, as if worried his words had insulted him.

Migeira inclined his head, a silent assent for the boy to continue.

"He failed in that he chose not to destroy the source of the disorder. His choice made it possible to minimize the effects, to set things back on a course somewhat aligned with the vision of the future he had seen. By allowing one man who was not truly a man to live, my uncle chose a dark, uncertain future..."

"Now just a minute!" I blurted, smacking my hand on the ground. Hisui's remark about a "man who was not truly a man" had set something off in me. No way was I going to just let that one slide, even if Kyo was disinclined to. "How _dare_ you say that Kyo is not a man! He has just as much right to live as anyone else, dammit! Migeira-san knew that, and that's why he _helped_ Kyo against Nobunaga instead of killing him! If you think we're going to do what you want after you had the _gall _to call Kyo anything less than human, you can just...!"

I think the violence of my outburst surprised even Kyo. Hisui looked absolutely appalled. "Ah, go-gomen nasai, Yuya-dono!" he stammered, "I did not mean to offend! I was just...I mean, I was saying...ano..." He took a deep breath, clearly trying to collect his wits. "That I judged Kyo-dono before having met him was a failure on my part indeed. I did not mean to insinuate that he was less than human, but I was merely stating the fact that his nature is... is somewhat..."

"'His nature is'...what?" I prompted after Hisui trailed off into incoherent mumbling. I was on my feet now, my arms crossed over my chest as I gave Hisui a hard, cold stare. A small voice in my head was wondering just why the heck I was being so insistent on this point, why I was bothering to defend Kyo when he never needed my help anyway.

I mentally told the voice to put a tabi in it.

"Well, to be perfectly frank..." Hisui looked over at Kyo and bit his lip. His next words came out in something of a rush. "Onime no Kyo came into this world not so much a man, but as a demon _from_ a man, did he not?"

I found I didn't have a response for that. It was true after a fact, if I were to understand correctly what Sakuya had told me years ago. Kyoshiro had submitted to the Mibu's magic to divorce himself from the murderous monster he had created within his heart and his sword. Onime no Kyo had been the result.

"'Not so much a man'?" Kyo's voice was low, almost a purr. He chuckled, a predatory gleam in his eyes as he regarded Hisui. "I think I like this brat's way with words. He's pretty bold to say something like that to my face."

Hisui then did something I would not have expected. "Perhaps you were at first a demon," he said firmly, turning to face Kyo, "but to say you are not human now would be a lie, for clearly you are."

"Oh?" I really couldn't tell if Kyo was amused and just toying with Hisui, or if he was actually getting angry. I had feeling Migeira was just as unsure as I, for his posture was tense, ready for action. "And just how did you reach that conclusion, brat?"

"Yuya-dono has remained with you," Hisui replied simply, as if that settled the matter.

And it did; Kyo opened his mouth, but nothing came out. I certainly wasn't in a position to say anything.

"Surely the woman my uncle described would not bind her heart to a creature without one," Hisui said to me, "That is why I am confident that Kyo-dono will agree to..."

"Agree, nothing, brat," Kyo interrupted. He sounded pissed. "What makes you think I'm some sort of hero?"

Hisui blinked. "But, your destiny..."  
"Nobody decides my 'destiny' but me," Kyo growled, "Migeira tried forcing destiny on me, and I sure as hell am not going to let some little snot-nosed pantywaist try the same thing." He glared at Migeira. "So, is this the big revelation you had to skulk around about? I would have thought you knew better than to try this shit again, Migeira."

"I am not here to force you to do anything," Migeira replied softly, "My choice has led to this; it is now your choice that will determine what will come after. But I must ask you Kyo, if you do not take a stand now, how do you expect to protect Yuya-san later?"

"Is that a threat?" retorted Kyo, sounding bored. I noticed that his grip on the saya of his katana had shifted.

"A warning," said Migeira, "Advice, if you will. Hisui speaks the truth, for he can do nothing else. The world Nobunaga envisioned shall fall far short of what is to come. Can you truly protect Yuya-san amidst such chaos, even with your skill? I think not. But I know the folly of trying to force Onime no Kyo to take any course of action he is not first freely willing to accept."

"Then leave Yuya out of this," Kyo said, "or the brat's going to have one less uncle to wipe his nose for him."

Was it my imagination, or was Migeira smiling beneath his mask? "As you wish," he said with a slight nod. He straightened. "Let's go, Hisui."

"Wha...?" Hisui was looking slightly dazed. Migeira swept past him and out the door; the poor boy had time to give me and Kyo one last, hurried bow before running out after him.

Silence followed on the heels of their departure. The lamp nearest me flickered and went out, but the grey light of the approaching dawn had diminished the darkness to twilight. Other than the breeze rifling lightly through the eaves of the storehouse roof, the quiet was absolute, the world hanging between sleep and wakefulness.

I went about the room, dousing the rest of the lamps, until only the one hanging beside the door was left.

"Kyo, can you get that lamp for me?" I asked him, returning to my medicine chest to do one last run-through of its remaining contents.

When there was no reply or sound of movement, I looked over at him. Kyo was sitting there with his eyes closed, slouching back against the wall, his katana held loosely in a relaxed grip. I sighed; of course he was exhausted. I don't care how indestructible Kyo thought he was - that spear had inflicted a nasty wound. "Honestly, I have to do everything," I muttered, swiping my bangs back from my eyes.

I got to my feet and crossed the floor. Standing on tiptoe, I opened the wind-cover and blew out the dying flame. Kyo didn't stir. I stood there a while, looking down at him, thinking about what Hisui had said. Did it matter to Kyo whether or not people thought of him as a man? His life-long hatred of Kyoshiro, his determination to be something more, something apart – was it all because he sought to define himself as a person? Or did he still think of himself as a demon, without human heart or care? True, he could hurt me more deeply than any brigand's blade with mere words... but why was it I felt lonely in a town full of people until he was with me once more?

I sighed, feeling the weight of the last few hours reassert itself. What I wouldn't give for a hot bath and a clean futon right then. But I just couldn't leave Kyo like that. Perhaps the best thing was to find the nearest guard patrol and have them send word to Dazai-san and his family not to worry, that Kyo and I would be returning in a couple of hours...

Kyo reached up and caught my hand just as I took a step out the door. "Where do you think you're going? You're about to collapse on your feet."

"None of your business, and no, I'm not," I shot back, pulling vainly against his restraining grip, "Now let me go!"

"It wasn't your fault."

"Excuse me?"

"How many times do I have to say it before it sticks in that head of yours?" Kyo responded irritably, "It wasn't your fault. Your screaming had nothing to do with it."

I bowed my head. "I-I know... I got it," I said.

"No, you don't," retorted Kyo.

"Yes, I do," I snapped, trying to jerk my hand free.

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do!"

"You don't."

"I do!"

"No."

"Yes!"

"Then why are you still trying to get away from me?"

"I..." Well, I really couldn't say I wasn't, now could I? The situation was silly enough as it was. With a tired groan, I flopped down on the ground beside him. "Fine, whatever." I leaned my forehead against his shoulder and clenched my eyes shut against the all-too-familiar prickling sting of tears. Maybe if he thought I was tired, I could pretend to fall asleep and...

Kyo wasn't fooled. His fingers trailed softly down my cheek, intertwining with the locks of hair that had escaped my ponytail. "Why do you insist on worrying about me?"

"I dunno," I said hoarsely, "Guess it's just in my nature." Augh, dammit, my throat was burning – since when did I break down like this so easily? "Why do you insist on being a jerk when I do?"

"Because it pisses me off when you cry."

"Well, exc_uuuuu_se me, Onime no Kyo!" I hissed, pulling away from him, "I'm sorry I'm not all hard and cold like some people! I'm sorry for not being some ultimate warrior who can fight no matter the circumstance! I'm sorry I c-can't hide what I'm feeling! I'm sorry I...!" _'Shit! I'm going to start crying again!'_ I wanted nothing more than to get the hell out of there, as far away from Kyo as I could.

"It's frustrating..." He made no move to stop me, but I was held in place all the same. "When you cry, I can't..." Kyo wasn't looking at me; he seemed to have all his attention on a knothole in the wooden floor. Dawn's light cast deep shadows on his profile, hiding his eyes beneath his red bangs. "It's as though, no matter how strong I am, if I'm the reason you cry...I've..." He grit his teeth. "Tch! I can't be helpless, dammit!"

"What?" "Surprised" couldn't quite do justice to how I felt just then. I was floored. I didn't even think there was a word for "helpless" in Kyo-speak, and certainly not one he'd ever apply to himself! No wonder he'd lashed out the way he had. _'Little by little, I'm beginning to understand you.' _"Kyo..."

"What?" he grunted.

I leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

He stared at me. "What are you talking about, woman? Thank you for what?"

I smiled and kissed him again, this time on the lips. "That's for me to know and you to find out." I got to my feet and brushed off my yukata. "Come on now, Dazai-san and everyone else will be wondering where we are."

"Hn."

I retrieved my medicine chest and we departed the storehouse. The town was waking up around us, but the activity in the wealthier quarter where Dazai-san had his residence was slow to catch up. I was grateful, because that meant no one was around to see what had happened to poor Kuniko's splendid yukata. I hoped the dirt and blood would eventually come out, and that Kuniko wouldn't be too upset. After all that had happened last night though...

"Ne, Kyo?" I ventured as we turned down yet another empty street.

"What is it?"

I bit my lip. "About what Hisui-kun and Migeira-san said..."

"What about it?"

"Well..." I stared at the blank wall to my left as we walked along. "If what they were saying is true, you're the only one who can help, right? And the other night, you did say..."

"I never said I was going to do anything about it. Why should I? Peace doesn't suit me."

"You don't mean that do you?" I demanded, turning my attention on him. I forgot all about trying to keep him out of it. "Kyo, you can't...!"

"On the other hand..." Kyo interrupted, continuing on as though I hadn't spoken, "That little brat made it sound like an interesting fight – the 'legions of Emma-O' might actually be a diversion worth my time."

I rolled my eyes. "Here I was worried that your poor ego was bruised," I harrumphed, "Kyo, this sounds like it could be serious trouble. If this new enemy has powers even more terrible than those beast-men last night..." I cast a surreptitious glance over at his left leg. "...don't you think it's a pretty big risk?"

"Tch!" Kyo laid a hand on my shoulder, forcing me to stop. I looked up at him questioningly. "One little scratch doesn't mean shit," he growled, "It sure as hell doesn't mean I'm not going to fight."

"But...!" I met his gaze and saw something there that told me that anything else I could possibly say would only make him angrier; convincing him not to fight was simply out of the question. I bowed my head. "I'm not going to try and stop you."

"Good. Not that it'd make a difference if you did." He started walking again.

"I'm coming with you," I said, running to catch up.

He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye.

"And don't even think about trying to stop me from coming," I continued determinably, "You can say anything you want, but I'm coming. And don't try disappearing either; I might not have my revolver anymore, but I'm still a damned good bounty hunter, and I will find you, got that?"

"Are you threatening me, little girl?" Kyo asked, smirking.

"You bet your ass I am, Onime no Kyo!" I responded, folding my arms and glaring at him.

"Yare, yare..." He rolled his eyes. "Stubborn wench."

"Egocentric jerk," I said, poking him in the side.

He responded with a very inappropriate groping of my anatomy.

"Hentai!" I shrieked, getting ready to smack him silly.

Good thing we reached Dazai-san's house just then and Kuniko was standing in the open gate, or things might have gotten out of hand.

------------------------------------------------

Saying good-byes are always hard, but saying "sayonara" to little kids just plain sucks. Aiko started crying and clinging to my leg, and Fusako, always the impressionable little sister, followed suit. Gasuke was more determined to act like a grown up, so he compensated by acting surly and hiding in his room until his mother scolded him about being ungrateful.

I think Gasuke was a more upset about seeing Kyo leave than me, but then, a healer has nowhere near the hero-appeal compared to a samurai in a little boy's eyes.

"And do not worry about the yukata, Shiina-sensei," Kuniko reassured me, wiping away a trace of suspicious moisture from her eyes as she smiled at me, "It is quite salvageable. It was an honor for me to repay at least the smallest part of the debt I owe you for saving my son in some way other than money."

"Aa," agreed Dazai-san, nodding his head, "Only now, we owe you the debt of the lives of the townspeople you saved, you and Kyo-dono both."

"Actually..." I couldn't help but look at Kyo. He was taking everything in with an air of impassivity, but I could sense his impatience. "It was the only thing Kyo could do, considering," I said, hoping Dazai-san would be satisfied.

Nobio arched an eyebrow, but said nothing. I think she was still hung up over the other night's conversation.

"Take care, both of you," Kuniko said, bowing.

"We will, thank you," I replied, returning her bow.

After a little more sobbing and pouting, the girls let me go and said their good-byes.

"Sayonara!" I called over my shoulder, giving them all one last wave as Kyo and I walked down the street toward the marketplace.

"Did Migeira-san tell you the inn where he and Hisui-kun were staying?" I asked Kyo. I noticed we were bypassing the main market center, weaving our way through crowded and ramshackle dwellings of Tokubo's poorer quarter.

"Hn?"

"Well, we are going to meet them, aren't we?"

"If that brat's fortune-telling is worth anything, they can find us," Kyo said after a while, "I'm still going to Kudoyama."

"Why?" I wanted to know, "Yukimura-san's not a seer, even if he does have the best intelligence network on the Kii peninsula."

"Hn." It was very annoying, the way Kyo ended conversations sometimes.

We reached the outskirts of town without running into Migeira or Hisui or anyone else for that matter. I felt like we were criminals on the run, sneaking out the way we did. I even held my breath as we passed the guards stationed at the gate opening out onto the west road, and felt silly after I let it out.

As we walked, an uncomfortable tightening knotted in my stomach – we had just left behind the friendly familiar world and were once more about to walk head-on into danger. What's more, apparently there were even worse things to come. I think most people would have said I was being paranoid, that there was no way some little kid could really see a terrible vision of Hell outside of his nightmares. But then, most people haven't lived the life I've lived for the last several years, even before I met Kyo. Staying alive after onii-sama's murder had been a battle all of its own, and a lonely one at that.

The thing that made the difference now was that I knew Kyo wasn't going to let anything happen to me. Or himself, for that matter - _I_ would see to that.

_'That's right. I have Kyo.'_ And just like that, my anxiety disappeared.

"So, how many days do you think it will take to get to Kudoyama anyway?" I asked Kyo as the road led us into the cool green shadows of the evergreen forest surrounding Tokubo. The terrain to the north and especially west of us would become pretty mountainous, but if we took the main roads, at least some of the way would be smoother.

"It depends..."

"On what?"

"On how fast a certain brat can walk."

"I shall do my best not to slow us down."

I stopped short and whirled, staring out into the concealing forest. Migeira and Hisui stepped onto the road before us, Hisui giving me a broad smile of greeting.

"How did you...?" I asked him.

"Because we are also on our way to Kudoyama," Migeira responded.

"If you recall, I said that Kyo-dono is the foremost of four warriors," Hisui added readily, "One of the others is a certain Sarutobi Sasuke-dono, who is..."

"I know who Sasuke is," Kyo interrupted rather rudely.

"Well, yes, of course you do," flustered Hisui, his cheeks coloring, "What I meant was that..."

"Who are the others?"

"I beg your pardon?"

Kyo rolled his eyes. "Who are the other warriors you're expecting to fight for you, brat?" he said with sarcastic slowness.

Migeira narrowed his eyes at Kyo while his grip tightened on the haft of his shakujou. Kyo ignored him.

"Oh. They would be two of your former comrades-in-arms," said Hisui, "Akira-dono and... Hotaru-dono."

I noticed the way Hisui seemed almost reluctant to mention the latter name, and how the honorific was tacked on as an afterthought. _'Why would that be?'_ I wondered.

Kyo wasn't fazed in the least. "At least you have some intelligence when it comes to picking people to fight for you," he observed, "I also see why you had to come to me first." He grinned mockingly. "You're pretty much shit out of luck unless I agree to help you, ne?"

"As you say, Kyo," Migeira said, his voice sounding as though it was being forced through grit teeth.

"Just when were you planning on telling me that you expected Sasuke, Akira, or Hotaru to take part in your little adventure?" Kyo asked.

"When you asked me for the names of the other warriors, for only then would I know whether or not you would choose to join us," said Hisui in a calm, matter-of-fact voice that only seemed to irk Kyo all the more.

"Wanting to know names means nothing," Kyo retorted, "Stop trying to be clever, brat."

"But I am not..." Hisui began to protest.

"That's enough, Kyo!" I told Kyo.

"That's enough, Hisui!" Migeira interjected at the same time.

There was a prolonged moment of silence in which Kyo rolled his eyes, Migeira held his face in his hand, and Hisui looked confused.

_'Hoo-boy...'_ I sighed, thinking that this probably wasn't the best start to any journey.

------------------------------------

"...but I do not understand; if the extract of poppy is so conducive to relieving pain, why can it not also be used in the course of surgery to diminish the agony of the patient?"

"Look, Hisui-kun," I sighed, "You'll just have to trust me when I say opium does more than just take away pain. I'm not saying I'm a surgeon or anything, but you need to understand its properties. Used properly, it can indeed be used to ease suffering, but it can also be quite destructive. That's why any healer worth their salt would be very reluctant to give it to anyone, except in extreme cases."

"Why?"

"Because opium is highly addictive," I explained, recalling my lessons with Taka-sensei, "It relieves pain, yes, but there is always the danger that the patient will become dependent on it. It becomes like a hunger that overwhelms everything else, every thought, instinct, memory. My sensei told me that she has seen people kill other people just for the sake of a few copper coins to buy more opium."

Hisui's eyes were so wide I could have sworn they were about to fall out of his head. "It is _that_ dangerous?!" he gasped, "Then why do you use it at all? How can you be sure that you will administer it correctly, or that your patient will not be poisoned?"

"Like I said, you need to learn respect for all of its properties, not just its harmful or helpful ones. 'There's good and evil in everything, you just need to learn to tell the difference,' as my sensei told me more than once," I said patiently, "The principle applies to practically any medicine. I watched my sensei for a long time before I even tried mixing medicines, and even then, I studied constantly."

Hisui took this in with a grave expression that was far too old for him. "I see," he said, "I am obviously limited by my own experience. I have not seriously studied medical matters as you have, Yuya-dono, nor have I had the opportunity to test that knowledge in the wider word. It was foolish of me to question you."

"What? No, it wasn't," I protested, surprised by how seriously he took it, "You need to question things, Hisui-kun, that's the only way you learn. You also have to try things out for yourself and make mistakes and learn from them."

Hisui bit his bottom lip and sighed. "It sounds quite difficult; I wonder if I will have the time," he said, but his voice was so low, I wasn't sure I heard correctly.

"Hisui-kun..."

"Migeira-oji-san," Hisui called over his shoulder, "The sun is setting; are we going to make camp soon, or are we going to look for a village?"

"There's nothing around here for _li_," Kyo snorted, speaking up for the first time since we all started out together, "And there's still plenty of daylight. Why, are you tired?"

"Yes, somewhat, but if you feel that we need to continue, I will keep walking," Hisui responded stoutly, not even rising to the mocking tone of Kyo's question.

I had to admire his maturity, or maybe it was that he was simply too innocent to know better. Either way, Kyo has a special talent for picking a fight, and Hisui seemed pretty adept at deflecting derision. Throughout the day, he had kept up a running conversation with me, asking all sorts of questions, not just about medicine and healing, but also about my travels through Japan. The kid was quite intelligent, I could tell that right off, but most of his knowledge seemed to come from things he had read or heard about second-hand. I began to get the impression that he had been practically cloistered for most of his life and that this was the first time he had ever ventured beyond his clan holdings. It was a remarkable contrast to Migeira, who I was still having a hard time visualizing as an uncle. Just what kind of family was it that they had come from?

"Hisui-kun, if you don't mind me asking, exactly what sort of training have you received? You seem to know the basics of practically every branch of medicine and healing you've asked me about," I said.

"Oh, I was supposed to be training to become the next guji of my clan's shrine," he replied, "But the world is so fascinating, I wanted to know all about...are you all right, Yuya-dono?"

So the kid didn't just _dress_ like a Shinto priest, he actually was one?! "'Guji'?" I echoed after I recovered myself, "But you're just a kid! How can you be in line to be a chief priest when you...?!"

I'm no expert on Shinto hierarchy, mind you, but don't chief priests have to be, you know, older?

"Well, it is rather odd that someone my age would be chosen for that station. As a matter of fact, I do not recall a single record of such a thing taking place among my clan's archives," Hisui said, taking my remark in stride. He pulled idly at his topknot. "The current guji, my great-uncle, appointed me as his successor last year and his word was accepted as law. He never did explain why."

"Hiroaki-oji-sama has never been one of the most forthcoming of men," Migeira observed. He sounded displeased for some reason.

"Is that so?" I asked softly, wondering what I had started.

"If I had had my choice, I would have become a monk like Migeira-oji-san," Hisui said blithely, "That way, I would have been allowed to...Yuya-dono, are you certain you are all right? Perhaps we should stop for the night."

"Migeira-san, since when the heck were you a monk?!" I demanded, ignoring Hisui.

Migeira blinked, as if puzzled by my question. "I have always been a servant of Amida Buddha and follower of the teachings of Eisai-sama, Yuya-san," he said stiffly, "Surely you don't believe that an ordinary secular warrior could summon the houriki necessary to use his soul for a weapon without ill effect."

"Oh..." That would actually explain a few things, now that I thought about it. Hadn't Migeira said he used his soul for ammunition in his Muramasa cannon? And here I had been thinking he'd chosen a shakujou for a weapon on a whim!

Migeira raised an eyebrow at me, but made no further comment. I noticed Kyo seemed to be lagging a bit behind us and slowed down to let him catch up.

"How's the leg?" I asked softly.

He didn't answer; instead, he seemed quite a bit more interested in the trees on either side of the road.

"Kyo, didn't you hear me? How is your...?"

"Quiet, woman," he muttered, hardly moving his lips. His eyes darted to the road ahead, cloaked in deepening shadows with the approaching night.

_'Something's coming,'_ I realized, taking Kyo's hand by instinct. I looked up at him, wordlessly asking what he wanted me to do.

He inclined his head toward Hisui and then glanced at the far side of the road, where the cleared ground made a sharp dip before melting into the trees. His meaning was obvious enough: when the fighting starts, grab Hisui and take cover in the ditch.

I squeezed his hand to tell him I understood, then let go to catch up to Hisui.

Only six paces separated us, but the attack came before I had time to cross half that distance.

They weren't on horses this time, but that didn't seem to affect the speed in which they charged at Kyo and Migeira, who had turned to meet the ambush. I yanked Hisui off the road with me as I ran for the ditch, ignoring his startled protest.

"Just stay down!" I barked, practically shoving his face into the dirt. I shrugged the bulky medicine chest off my shoulders and carefully placed it on the ground beside me. I needed to be able to move fast, if it came to that. Reaching into my obi, I pulled out my poisoned needles, not because I thought I would have to use them, but because it was reassuring to have _some_ sort of weapon on hand at times like these.

"What might those be, Yuya-dono?" Hisui asked as I raised my head to the level of the road to check on the fight.

I didn't answer him, as I was far more concerned with how Kyo and Migeira were faring. The road had been dry and covered with a layer of dust; the battle had stirred up such a thick cloud, I could barely see. There seemed to be an awful lot of the enemy though, more than last night. _Lots _more... "Shit, this isn't looking good."

"Are they hard-pressed, Yuya-dono?" Hisui asked breathlessly, grabbing my sleeve. I noticed that he hadn't bothered to look for himself. His face was pale, and his hand on my sleeve was shaking.

"Hisui-kun, are you scared?" I asked him.

He shook his head, paused, then nodded.

"Don't be," I said, trying to be reassuring, although a blood-curdling shriek that died off in a choked gurgle rather spoiled the effect. Hisui dug his face into my arm. "It'll be all right; Kyo and your uncle will protect us."

"I am certain they will, but it is what _I_ must do that terrifies me..."

_'What?'_ "Hisui-kun, what are you...?"

Hisui slowly shook his head, and then drew away from me. He reached over to his bag, untied the strings and pulled out the shakuhachi I had seen him play last night. To my amazement, he got to his feet and walked out onto the road.

"Hisui-kun, are you insane, get back here!" I shouted, jumping up.

The kid ignored me and raised the instrument to his lips...only he didn't see the warrior who burst out of the dust cloud, bearing down on him like a wolf...

_"HISUI!"_ I unleashed a flight of needles, aiming for the man's face and torso...but he wasn't a man, he was a demon like before and he didn't stop...he would reach Hisui unless...!

"_NO!"_ I jerked Hisui out of the way and threw another handful of needles right into the slavering, bestial face of the demon.

I want to say my attack was what stopped him, but that would be wishful thinking. The sonorous, beautiful, mournful wail of Hisui's shakuhachi pierced through the chaos of battle, washing over us like an invisible wave. The demon had just grabbed me by the shoulders and was closing in for the kill when he fell to his knees, howling his anguish. His blunted black claws dug into my skin, as though responding to his last murderous intent. In a sudden spray of blood, his head was gone, the corpse falling to the ground as I stared at Kyo through the crimson haze.

"The...I..." There was a bit of disconnect between my brain and my body. Near-death experiences tend to have that effect on me. Kyo only glared and slewed around, his blade dark and flying with blood as he and Migeira dispatched those demons still unfortunate enough to be alive.

It took only moments.

"I told you to stay down, dammit," Kyo said angrily, returning to me. The gentle way he drew me to him belied his tone.

"Sorry..." I mumbled into his haori, pressing my cheek against his breastplate. The attack was over, the enemy reduced to nothing more than lifeless bodies. "But Hisui-kun was about to..."

"Tch! Don't be stupid enough to risk yourself like that again," Kyo interrupted. "Stop playing that damned flute, brat!" he snapped at Hisui.

The shakuhachi's song stopped abruptly. "Yuya-dono, are you injured?" Hisui asked anxiously.

I turned and smiled at him. "No, I'm fine," I said gently, wanting to make up for Kyo's brusqueness. Then I took a good look at him. "Hisui-kun, are you all right?"

His skin was grayish, his eyes half-closed, his entire body trembling. "Do not be concerned, I..."

Migeira caught him before the kid fainted. "Kyo, I am certain I heard the sound of a stream or river a short distance ahead," he said, picking up Hisui's limp body in his arms, "I ask that we stop there for the night."

"Whatever," Kyo said with a shrug.

I touched Hisui's forehead – no fever, but the cold sweat that coated his skin was just as bad. He was in shock, but why? "Migeira-san, just what is going on?"

Migeira sighed heavily. "When we stop for the night. There are certain...details Hisui did not, or rather, could not, speak of."

------------------------------------

"He's sleeping now," I told Migeira as I sat down between him and Kyo beside the campfire. The way Kyo was glowering at Migeira, I thought it was a good idea. "I want to keep watching him through the night, just to be sure though. Has Hisui-kun always been troubled by fainting spells?"

Migeira shook his head, staring into the fire. "No, that is a recent development, and a side effect of the use of his spiritual power in battle."

"Spiritual power?" I echoed, "Are you talking about his flute-playing?"

"Yes...and no," Migeira replied, "As you have likely guessed, Hisui's flute and the song he plays renders those inhabited by demonic spirits powerless. But in themselves, they are nothing but notes from a bamboo pipe if Hisui does not also send out his spirit into those who hear the song. They are the tools by which manifests his ki and directs its purification power into certain individuals."

"Don't tell me that brat does the same thing you did with your cannon," Kyo said.

"I suppose it is rather similar," Migeira allowed, "but for Hisui, it is much more dangerous, as you have seen. Hisui's power can destroy the evil in the souls of those demons who once were men, but only if they are willing to let go of the power they have received. If there was any measure of free will in the acceptance of the infernal power, Hisui can only bind them until death by another's hand gives them the release he could not. He is now forced to use his power for the purpose of killing, ending life, to save men from their own foolish ambition.

"Hisui told you he was appointed to be the next high priest of our clan, but..." Migeira paused, as if weighing whether or not to continue. "Hisui was not so much appointed as he was _born_ for the role. I cannot divulge to you the methods by which this was determined, but trust me when I say that Hisui was born to be an instrument of mercy. To even indirectly be the cause of another's death goes against his very nature. His soul rejects what his mind knows is right – sometimes, he is able to win the struggle, other times..." Migeira looked over at Hisui's still form and sighed. "I can only hope he finds absolution at the conclusion of all this."

I bit my lip to keep myself from voicing empty assurances; Migeira hardly needed them now, and it would not help Hisui.

Kyo, on the other hand, had no qualms about speaking up. "'Instrument of mercy'? Sounds like a coward's excuse. If that brat's committed to what he's set out to do, that's the only 'absolution' he need ever look for," Kyo sneered. Migeira glared at him. "There's no point in coddling him, Migeira," Kyo bludgeoned on, "If you insist that he needs to remain innocent, you're going to get him killed."

"I am his protector," Migeira said lowly, "I will die before I let harm or ruin come to him."

"Tch! Then you'll be helping him cross the Sanzu-no-kawa," Kyo retorted, "A nice ending for both of you, ne?"

"Kyo!" I wanted to clap a hand over his mouth; antagonizing Migeira would be of no help to anyone!

"You speak thus because you do not and cannot understand," Migeira retorted coldly, "Nor do I expect you to. I accompany Hisui because I swore to protect him. Why, if you are so scornful, did you agree to aid him?"

Kyo bared his teeth. "When did I ever say I would do something like that? The only thing I've agreed to so far is to let you tag along with me to Kudoyama. Perhaps if I'm bored enough, I'll fight those legions of Hell your little nephew was so concerned about."

Migeira probably wanted nothing more than to wale on Kyo with his shakujou, but he showed remarkable restraint. "You mock me, Onime no Kyo, but you will soon see that you have done so only out of sheer ignorance," he stated, as though that ended the matter.

There was a breath of silence, but Kyo wasn't finished. "I seem to recall the brat saying something about not knowing the identity of the enemy," he remarked, "Why is it then, that you've been attacked twice in as many days? Could it be that your enemies know who _you_ are?"

I breathed a sigh of relief – at least Kyo wasn't trying to pick a fight anymore. As a matter of fact, it was quite a good question.

Migeira seemed to think so also. "I do not believe that is the case," he replied frankly.

"Hn? What makes you say that?" Kyo pressed, when it seemed Migeira wasn't going to elaborate.

"Because there have been numerous attacks on shrines, temples, and holy persons throughout Japan," Migeira said, "Even as Hisui and I were setting out from our clan holdings a month ago, we received word of a sudden outbreak of systematic desecration and murder. The description of the attacks, some of which we investigated along our way, all followed the same vein: a horde of murderous bandits would invade a town or village shrine, or assault a monastery, or waylay a journeying monk, priest, or miko. Survivors spoke of cruel slaughter and desecration of relics and sanctuaries. Bodies of holy persons, if they were ever found at all, bore the marks of inhuman but deliberate torture and murder. To the undiscerning eye, it would seem as though rogue bands of brigands had suddenly taken it into to their heads to persecute holy people and loot sacred places."

"And you aren't so undiscerning, ne?" Kyo drawled.

Migeira shook his head. "The coincidences are too plentiful to be such. We, too, have been attacked in the manner you have witnessed. It is not by design so much as instinct, it seems, for these demons to seek out and destroy their antithesis. And from those attacks, Hisui recognized the signature of the evil his vision had warned him about.

"That demons are behind the ruination of all that is holy in this land cannot be chance. Surely you reached the same conclusion, or you would not be going to Kudoyama in the first place."

Kyo's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about, Migeira-san?" I asked, mystified by his reference and Kyo's reaction.

"The shrine in Kashikojima had been utterly destroyed when you arrived, had it not?" Migeira asked, looking at Kyo.

"Well of course," I interjected, "Half the town had been put to the torch by the Akaisora-shuu by the time we got there."

"The miko in charge of the shrine had been executed," Migeira continued, as though I hadn't spoken, "When you pursued the band, you noticed that they seemed to travel faster and further than humans had any right to. And when you finally caught up with them, you realized the truth: your quarry was not human, at least not anymore. You fought well and defeated them, but not before recognizing a demonic kidifferent from, but akin to your own."

_'What?'_ I thought in disbelief. _'Kyo _knew_ about the demons even before we met up with Migeira and Hisui?'_ My heart sank. _'Why didn't he think to tell _me_ about it, or did he just think it didn't matter?'_

Kyo was glaring now. I reached out and put a hand on his arm, willing him to stay calm. "I suppose I should congratulate you on your detective skills," Kyo said sarcastically, "and your strategy. Letting me find out for myself there was another bastard hell-bent on chaos was rather devious."

Migeira shrugged. "It is best that you had some idea of what was going on, or Hisui would not have been able to convince you without proof. Anyone hearing him without witnessing for themselves would have dismissed him out of hand."

"Hn," Kyo snorted. Migeira conveniently interpreted it as agreement, for he did not press the issue further.

I got to my feet. "Thank you, Migeira-san, for being so frank with us," I said politely, "It is best for _allies_ to be less secretive with each other, to avoid any chance of misunderstanding or suspicion"

"No truer words were spoken, Yuya-san," Migeira said with a polite half-bow, "I ask pardon for my reticence."

"You're not alone when it comes to keeping secrets, Migeira-san," I replied, deliberately not looking at Kyo, because I'd probably lose it if I did.

"Where are you going?" Kyo demanded as I started walking away.

"To the river!" I tossed over my shoulder before stomping off, my face burning with anger. Yes, I know, it wasn't the most mature reaction, but what did Kyo expect, hiding something like that from me? _'Jerk! Asshole! Did he think I couldn't handle the truth?! That I was going to break out in hysterics or something?!'_

A series of loud splashes as I neared the river bank startled me out of my internal rant. I reached automatically for my needles, and then realized I had probably just scared off the entire frog population for a good distance on either side of river. _'Paranoid much?'_ I thought disgustedly, finding a convenient log and sitting down on it.

I slumped forward, my elbows on my knees, my chin in my hands as I stared out at the black and moon-silvered water. Cicadas and crickets were singing loudly and obliviously amid the thick stands of fuzzy cattails; the river chuckled and burbled over rocks invisible beneath its dark depths. The full moon overhead was so bright that I cast a sharp, dark shadow on the ground.

_'You'd think with everything we'd been through together, Kyo would know he shouldn't _not_ tell me things!'_ True, Taka-sensei had said, more than once, that Kyo was about as forthcoming as a rock (and just as bright), but I still couldn't fathom why he thought it necessary or appropriate to hide things from me! _'And here I was thinking that we had reached an understanding the other night. Just when you think you've gotten a bead on him, how he thinks and feels, he pulls a stunt like this!'_

I wasn't getting any calmer, which had been the entire reason for storming away in huff in the first place. Bad enough Migeira and Kyo were at odds and that Kyo seemed to have become more instead of less antagonistic toward Hisui; our little group wasn't going to come together well if I decided to throw a little "me-Kyo" tension into the mix.

"How long were you planning on sitting there?"

Make that a _lot_ of "me-Kyo" tension.

"Until a trout leapt onto the riverbank and started speaking to me in Chinese or I felt like it," I snapped, sitting bolt upright, my hands clenched in my lap.

Kyo's hand settled on top of my head, impelling me to look up at him. "You should know better than to wander off, little girl," he said blandly, "You heard Migeira; he and the brat draw those damned rabid dogs like moths to a flame. If they found you out here alone..."

"If they found me _alone,_" I interrupted, pulling away from him and getting to my feet, "I would fight them; I _can_ fight, you know."

Kyo cocked his head to one side. "Aa, you'd fight," he said, "And then you'd die, very quickly."

I clenched my teeth so hard my jaws hurt. It wasn't as though he was lying – Kyo doesn't lie, whatever his faults. I knew how overmatched I was against those monsters, but he did _have_ to put it so bluntly?!

"Besides looking for Chinese trout, why in the hell did you come out here?" Kyo continued.

"To get away from you!" I spouted before I could even think about what I was saying. Kyo raised an eyebrow and I could feel the heat rush to my face, this time out of sheer embarrassment. If a large enough rock had been available, I would have crawled under it. As there wasn't, I had to stand there like an idiot while Kyo looked at me like I was off my nut.

"If I didn't know better I'd think you were mad at me for something."

When in doubt, be sarcastic. "Excellent deduction, Onime no Kyo," I muttered, "You could work for the _bakufu._"

He frowned. "I thought what I said last night was over and done with," he said. Angry, confused, amused, it all sounds pretty much the same from him when he wants it to.

"_That's_ what you think I'm angry about?" I asked in disbelief. Did he really think I'd be that petty?!

"It's not?" Kyo replied, still in the same tone.

I rolled my eyes and turned away. "Never mind," I told him, "Just leave me alone, all right? It's nothing important, so don't concern yourself." Folding my arms around myself, I stared out over the river, waiting for him to leave.

He didn't. Instead, I heard him walk over to the log I had abandoned and sit down. Kyo didn't say anything, of course – I could feel his eyes on my back like focused heat from a lens. It was a waiting game, and the loser would be the one who broke first and spilled their guts.

Even I knew that I had lost from the outset.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked softly, conceding defeat.

"Tell you what?" To his credit, Kyo managed to not sound _too_ smug.

"That you had fought those demons before? That you knew what was going on even before Migeira-san and Hisui-kun showed up in Tokubo?"

"Why should I tell you something like that?"

"Because...!" I whirled around, my temper piqued by his deliberate obtuseness. "Don't you think something like that is kind of important?! Would it have killed you to say, 'Oh, by the way, Yuya, there are rabid beast-men running amok throughout Japan, thought you might like to know' or something?!"

"You didn't need to know," Kyo said simply.

"I'm not stupid, Kyo!" I raged, "I'm not a coward either! I wouldn't have been scared...!"

"You didn't need to know," Kyo interrupted, "You're neurotic enough with everyday things to worry about."

"I am _not_ neurotic!" My voice sounded shrill even to my ears. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. "Kyo, I wouldn't have flipped out if you told me, I wouldn't have become hysterical, so why...?"

"You heard Migeira," Kyo said abruptly, "Are you telling me that you'd believe me if I told you that demons and not bandits were marauding through the countryside?"

"Of course I would," I told him. He blinked. "I know you. You wouldn't say something like that unless it was true. Besides, have you forgotten the kinds of people you've fought against? If they don't qualify as demons, anything direct from Emma-O himself couldn't either!" It was a lame attempt at humor, to cover up how much his doubt hurt my pride...and my heart. "Kyo, why don't you trust me? Haven't we gone through enough together?"

"It's got nothing to do with whether I trust you or not." For the first time, Kyo sounded frustrated. "I'm here to protect you, that's all you need to know. Why can't _you_ trust _me_ that much?"

_'But I do, Kyo I do, it's just that...'_ I sighed, suddenly feeling very tired. He obviously didn't, or couldn't, understand. Maybe it was because I trusted him with my life, that he thought he needed to protect me from everything and anything? Then again, it never used to be that way. '_It's remarkable how much Kyo has changed,'_ I thought to myself as I regarded him, sitting there with his Muramasa katana propped up on his shoulder, battle-ready and alert as always, _'I wonder if even he can tell.'_ I was surprised I really hadn't thought about it myself until just now.

"I do trust you Kyo," I said at last, with gentleness that seemed to catch him off guard. I walked over to him and smoothed my hand over his cheek. "I just want you to know that you can trust me, too. It also helps to know that you don't think of me as some frail, wilting waif who can't take care of herself."

"Tch, as if I'd be that stupid," Kyo commented, as though it should have been inherently obvious, "You're far too much of a wench to be a waif."

"Oh, gee, thanks," I said sarcastically, "Who knew Onime no Kyo was such a flatterer."

"Flattery nothing." Kyo reached around and pinched my rear. "Waifs are hardly interesting."

"Eek! Dammit, Kyo! I'm trying to be serious he...!" Kyo wasn't interested and promptly pulled me down into his lap. "D-don't you dare!" I gasped as he leaned over me, effectively caging me to him with his arms, "Kyo, you're wounded!"

"Tch! I thought I told you to stop worrying about stupid things like that," he said, sliding a hand up my thigh underneath my kimono.

"At least let me make sure you didn't split any of the stitches," I insisted, grabbing his wrist.

Kyo rolled his eyes but withdrew his hand. I clambered off him as quickly as possible so as not to give him an opportunity to change his mind, and crouched on the ground beside him. Rolling up his left hakama leg, I saw that the bandage was as pristine as it had been that morning.

"Told you so," Kyo said.

"Hmph, you can't be sure about these things," I said, getting to my feet, "We need to get back to the camp so I can look at it properly. The dressing needs to be changed in any case."

"Oh, really?" Kyo sounded skeptical. "Sure you're not just playing hard to get?"

"Maybe." I smiled sweetly and stepped out of arms' reach, "But before we do go back..."

"Hn?"

"I'm going to collect some of this cattail pollen." I always keep a small cloth collecting bag in my obi, courtesy of Taka-sensei's admonitions that you can never know when you might stumble on a useful herb. I took out the bag and began shaking the dusty brown fluff into it. It was quite rare, really, to find cattails like these so late in the summer; by now they should have been little more than tufts of grey fluff. Cattail pollen is a binding agent in an ointment Taka-sensei taught me for wounds that won't stop bleeding.

I had a feeling I was going to need a lot of it in the near future.

I filled the bag to capacity in record time. "I think Hisui would be interested in learning about these when he wakes up; I'll take one back to him," I said to myself, reaching mid-way down a thick stalk to break it free. I turned back to Kyo. "All right, let's go!"

"How much of that crap did you actually manage to get in the bag?" Kyo asked, coming forward and brushing cattail fuzz from my bangs.

"Enough," I said primly, side-stepping him and heading back toward the camp.

Kyo's hand around my wrist halted me in mid-stride. "Yuya..."

He sounded deadly serious. I glanced over my shoulder at him worriedly.

"...there are rabid beast-men running amok throughout Japan," he told me with a perfect dead-pan expression, "Thought you might like to know."

I had to replace the cattail I had planned on bringing Hisui. If Migeira thought it odd that we both came back covered head-to-toe in pollen and grey fluff, he didn't say anything.

---------------------------------------

Narrator here. Yee-gads, that was a hard chapter to write! A couple of times, I was ready just to scrap the whole fic, especially when it came to the Kyo-Yuya interactions. They are a difficult couple to write, if one is trying hard to keep them in character. I hope managed to do that.

I do not doubt someone will inform me if I did not...

------------------------------------------

**Music for this chapter:**

Rachmaninoff's _Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30 (Second Movement)_

Vivaldi's _Concerto for 2 Oboes in D Minor, RV 535_

_-------------------------------------------_

**Dictionary:**

"_yare, yare_" – loosely, "Oh, brother," or something to that effect.

"_hentai_" – "pervert" or "perverted." Either way, an apt description for Kyo...

"_sayonara" – _"goodbye" but to a degree that is rather more permanent than the standard Western connotation.

_Oji-san –_ "uncle"

_Tokaido-cho_ – A main coastal highway that ran from Edo (Tokyo) to Kyoto.

_Li – _a measure of distance of about 3.2 km.

_guji__ – _As Yuya mentions, the chief priest of a Shinto shrine (or local network of shrines, if that is the case). The other rankings, in descending order, are: _gon-guji_(the "second-in-command" or assistant to the chief priest); _shin-gon-guji_ (junior assistant chief priest); _negi_ (senior priest); _gon-negi_(assistant senior priest); _shuten_ or _kujo_ (just your average, every-day Shinto priest)

_Amida__ Buddha _– "Buddha of Infinite Light," the principle deity of the _Jodo_(Pure Land) school of Buddhism, founded by the scholar Honen and his disciple Shinran, that emerged in Japan during the Kamakura period (12th and 13th centuries). Migeira says that he is also an adherent of the teachings of _Eisai_, the founder of the _Rinzai_ sect of Zen Buddhism which came about in the last decade of the 12th century. Zen Buddhism, a form that developed independently from the Jodo school, was the Buddhism of choice for samurai because it was not nearly as "intellectual" or ascetic as Jodo. It was also easily assimilated into the reigning Shinto religion. While this may sound contradictory, in reality, Migeira essentially anticipates the founding of the _Ōbaku_ sect of Zen Buddhism in 1654 by the Chinese monk Yin-yüan (_Ingen_in Japan), which recognized Amida Buddha as its deity. Given that Migeira saw into the future all the way to the twentieth century (at least!), I figured the slight anachronism would not cause too much trouble!

_Houriki_– spiritual power that is supposed to come directly from Buddha, possessed only by Buddhist monks and nuns of the highest piety.

_Ki_ – also "chi," this is a concept (borrowed from the Chinese) of one's life-force/spirit/soul as being something that affects one's internal and external environments. _Ken-ki_ (lit. "sword-spirit"), which will come up later, is applied to samurai like Kyo.

_Sanzu-no-kawa_ – a river/river bed the dead must cross into the land of Yomi. Sort of the Japanese equivalent to the river Styx in Greek/Roman mythology. It even has a Charon-like guardian, a crone named Sodzu-baba.

_Opium – _this narcotic, extracted from red poppies as Hisui mentioned in the chapter, has long been known for both its medicinal properties as well as its more nefarious applications. Its dark side is probably best summed up in the Opium Wars in China in the early nineteenth century.

_Bakufu – "_Tokugawa Ieyasu's central concern was the restoration of peace and order to war-ravaged Japan; in order to accomplish this, he turned to China and Confucianism. In the bakuhan system of government, the **_bakufu_,** or military, government of the Tokugawa shogunate reserved the right to inspect the 250 or so autonomous territories, or han under the control of various daimyo. In order to oversee all these territories, about three-fourths of Japan, and autonomous daimyo the Tokugawa shogunate established an elaborate bureaucracy modeled after the Chinese imperial bureaucracy. Although Confucianism had been rooted in Japan since the sixth century A.D., it had largely been confined to Buddhist monasteries; however, Tokugawa Ieyasu turned to Confucianism, particularly Neo-Confucianism, as he began to build the bureaucracy which would eventually bring about over 260 years of domestic peace." - Quoted directly from the Washington State University website.

_Additional Sources:_ Ancient Cultures: Japanese Gods and Myths Chartwell Publishing Co.

The Encyclopedia of Ancient Myths and Culture Quantum Publishing Ltd.

Encyclopedia Britannica Micropaedia Vol. 10 (1979 :8000/dee/TOKJAPAN/NEO.HTM

--------------------

**To My Reviewers: **All of you are so wonderful!

**kitsune55:** Yes, thank you; I know I'm evil. (grin) But I think I left you off at a better point this time around. As for Kyo's treatment of Yuya... well, I hope this chapter helps to set the tone I'm going with to explain their relationship.

**luna-magic-2005:** We don't want Kyo hurting himself, you know. I can't imagine anyone learning how to express themselves having lived a life as guarded as his right off the bat. As Yuya has realized, it's going to take time... a _lot_ of time, since Kyo is something of an idiot.

**LadyWater2010 **and **Moony396:** Here's your update; enjoy!

**Placid Snowflake:** I was rather upset to find out that Migeira wasn't in the manga; that's the main reason I decided to go with the anime storyline (despite my personal preferences) - he's too cool a character not to use (and he's hot, too!). Hope you like how I'm portraying him so far, even though his role will be rather limited. It's too easy to use him as something of a deux ex machina, so I wanted to "ground" him a bit. And sorry about the cliffhanger - it's a cheap literary device, but an effective one, ne?

**nekozuki1776:** Thanks for saying you like my OC! And please, ask whatever questions you want - enthusiasm is ever so much more appreciated than apathy when it comes to artistic liscence. As for the seer thing skipping a couple of generations... well, I vaugely remember Migeira alluding to that, but as you'll come to see, Hisui is a very special case. I hope I managed to keep up with my consistent charaterizations of Kyo and Yuya in this latest chapter. And do please update on _I Would Never Hurt You_ and _Touch of Faith_ soon!

**vegita-dis:**I got praised, I got praised, I got praised! (capers madly) I'm glad you're enjoying the educational aspect of my work - I did rather much use this fic as an excuse to research Edo-era Japan and it's nice to know the extra work is appreciated. No sense in writing/reading historical fiction if you aren't going to learn something worthwhile! Please update _Midori no Me_ soon; I'm in something of a tizzy, wondering what will happen next!

**Starian Princess:** Hai, ninmu ryoukai! (salutes) Will lighten up immediately, ma'am! Anything you say, ma'am! (spazzes) Only, now I have to get serious again to write the next chapter... Oro, Narrator is confused!

**animegrl1047: **Kanashimi has since placed one of her Bishonen Subjugation collars on Saitou, so if your imouto goes after him, she must realize that she's not going to have much luck making him her own pet. Gomen, ne? And I hope this chapter answered some of your questions!

**Lady of Genesis:** I do hope your exam went well, and thank you for remembering to write your review!

**Arin Ross: **I think my propensity for detail stems from the fact that I'm a bit of a type-A personality... make that ueber type-A. At least it pays off for those who enjoy descriptive embellishments. By the bye, so far, you're the only one who's picked up on the meaning of Hisui's name - and yes, I did that on purpose.

**Genjy0-Sanz0:** Peachy? Hisui's just predicted blood, death, and destruction... which are Kyo's pasttimes now that I think about it. Hm, you're right, he might enjoy this _too_ much!

**Triste1:** I do hope it wasn't _too_ confusing - part of it has to do with the fact that I'm having Yuya telling the story. Since everything's happening from her point of view, without the benifit of third-person omniscience, it can get a bit muddled. But that's how battles are; you focus on one detail or everything just sort of whirls around you in a chaotic spin cycle. Thanks for the critical review!

Salute!


	5. Molto andantino

**Disclaimer:** Saying that I don't own _Samurai Deeper Kyo_ over and over again gets really annoying (and depressing).

* * *

**_Intermezzo_**

_Chapter 4: Molto andantino_

We ended up avoiding the main roads all together, striking out almost in a straight line cross-country from the east to the west side of the Kii peninsula. Migeira was determined not to involve any more innocent bystanders should the enemy attack again; Hisui and I were in heartfelt agreement, while Kyo pretended not to care either way. There was also a good chance that our enemies would have a harder time tracking us through the rough terrain. Migeira proved to have an almost uncanny familiarity with the ins and outs of the back country in Yamato and Kii; add that to the forced–march pace he set, I don't think the vanguard of the Tokugawa army would have made better time to Kudoyama!

* * *

"So," I observed, surveying the rising mountain trail before us, "all we have to do is hike up this monstrously steep slope for six hours, during the hottest part of the day I might add, and we'll _most likely_ find Yukimura-san by sundown?" 

Migeira shot me an irritated glare. "Yukimura-san does not hand out maps to his location, Shiina Yuya-san; what knowledge I have is gleaned from my clan's intelligence gathering. By choosing this route, we not only avoid any chance encounters with any other inhabitants of the mountain, but we will avoid whatever preparations that have been made to prevent unwanted visitors."

"Oooh, traps, lovely," I said sarcastically, "and just how certain are you that _this_ way," I stabbed my finger at the steep rocky _ghost of a trail_ Migeira had set his sights on, "isn't trip-wired and booby-trapped to Jigoku and back!"

If Migeira was a cat, his fur would have been standing on end in exasperation. "Yuya-_san_, this is the way we must go if we are to reach Yukimura-san in a timely manner. Standing here debating about it simply wastes valuable time and energy!"

"Let's make sure we don't waste time and energy wandering about Kudoyama for eternity!" I shot back hotly. Maybe because I was simply tired, or because my feet were killing me, or maybe because that time of the month was long overdue, but Migeira's assertions that the _only_ way to find Yukimura was to scrabble up a _cliff_ and _hope_ it was the right way annoyed the hell out of me. It didn't help that I had woken up that morning (and for several preceding mornings) feeling sick to my stomach and was only now getting over the initial queasiness.

I saw out of the corner of my eye that the other two members of our party had abstained from the proceedings. Kyo was sitting on a log, smoking his pipe and watching Migeira and me square off with a suspiciously bland expression on his face, while Hisui was sitting on the ground nearby, completely absorbed in the book I had let him borrow the night before.

"What solution do you suggest, then, if I might inquire?" Migeira said with deliberate calm.

"..." The problem was, I didn't really have a better plan.

"Even if Yuya hadn't been shouting at the top of her lungs like that," Kyo interjected unexpectedly, "Yukimura already knows we're here. Nobody can get this close to Kudoyama without his knowledge."

Migeira and I turned sharply to look at him.

"If Yukimura wants to talk to us, he'll find us, not the other way around," he continued, "It doesn't really matter what way we take, but since we've already wasted time getting to this kami-forsaken spot, we might as well start here."

I blinked. Was it just my imagination, or had Kyo just defused a fight instead of starting one or making it worse? _'Something isn't right in the universe_,'I thought bemusedly before turning back to Migeira. "You heard him, let's go," I said, as though it should have been the most obvious thing in the world.

Migeira clearly wasn't amused, but since I had more or less assented to his view, he really couldn't complain, now could he? "Hisui, we're leaving now," he called to his nephew.

"Huh?" Hisui looked up from the book (a Western medical text translated by my sensei), blinking dazedly as if he had been called back from his own private world. I saw Kyo roll his eyes in disgust as he got to his feet, knocking the ashes from his pipe.

"Come on, Hisui-kun," I said, "You can finish that tonight after we find Yukimura-san."

"All right." Hisui sounded genuinely regretful as he closed the book and slipped it into his bag before getting to his feet and brushing the dirt from his hakama.

Migeira took the lead, Hisui and me right behind him with Kyo bringing up the rear in case of an enemy attack. Which was practically guaranteed now that we were so close to reaching our goal.

Not that I was being a pessimist, mind you...

-

The initial ascent was the most difficult, but after the first hour or so, the trail mercifully leveled off somewhat to where we could actually walk upright instead of practically crawling up the mountainside.

_'My feet are never going to forgive me for this...'_ I thought wearily, pushing back my sweat-soaked bangs as I grimly surveyed the way ahead. It all monotonously the same: trees, rocks, more trees. The day had steadily grown hotter, as I had expected – even Hisui couldn't muster the energy for conversation. _'What I wouldn't give right now for a decent cup of tea and a shady place for...'_

"Welcome to Ichigo no Ocha-ya!"

The voice that sounded in my ear came out of nowhere. I'm embarrassed to admit that I shrieked and jumped sideways, right into Hisui.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry about that!" trilled the tea-house waitress, beaming at me as I struggled to regain control of my heart-rate and pull poor Hisui back up onto his feet. Since when do roadside teahouses and their staff appear out of thin air like that! So much for Migeira's avoiding the other inhabitants of the mountain.

Kyo paused long enough to give me a look that clearly read, _"Told you you were getting klutzy"_ before taking a seat on the nearest bench.

I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at him.

"Er, my fault, I didn't see you..." I started to say, turning my attention back to the waitress. I trailed off. I blinked. I stared. The waitress looked _awfully_ familiar... "Yukimura...san?"

I hoped for a wild instant that I was mistaken, that maybe Kousuke was moonlighting...

"Long time not see, ne Yuya-san?" Yukimura replied cheerfully.

"Sanada Yukimura-dono?" Hisui queried, staring at Yukimura's upswept hair and tasteful pastel yellow-with-pink-sakura patterned kimono under his white apron. "Ano..."

It is rather difficult to reconcile a mental image of one of the most feared enemies of the Tokugawa with meeting Yukimura in playful mood, I suppose.

"Yukimura-san, there is something very important that we must discuss with you," Migeira announced, laying a heavy hand on Hisui's shoulder to keep him from saying anything embarrassing.

"Of course there is, Migeira-san," Yukimura said, switching from frivolous to deadly serious in an instant, "Why else would you and Kyo-san be on my doorstep? I imagine it has something to do with the troubling news I've been receiving of late."

Migeira inclined his head. "You have been expecting us?"

"I must admit that when I heard Kyo-san had deigned to join forces with you, I was rather surprised," Yukimura said, "But that is beside the point. Right now, there is a more important question I must ask you."

Migeira narrowed his eyes.

"Will you be wanting just tea, or shall I tell Saizo to prepare an order of dango to go with it?" Yukimura inquired pleasantly.

Migeira's face went blank, as did Hisui's; I held my face in my hand and sighed.

"Got any sake?" Kyo asked, about the only one besides Yukimura unfazed by the whole thing.

"Coming right up, Kyo-san!" Yukimura fairly chirped, bowing slightly and going back into the otherwise deserted teahouse.

A gust of wind stirred the trail dust into small puffs and rustled amid the tree branches.

"Ano, Migeira-oji-san?" Hisui asked hesitantly, "That _was_ Sanada Yukimura-dono... am I correct?"

"...Yes," Migeira answered in a somewhat strained voice.

"Don't worry, he doesn't _always_ dress like that," I told Hisui, gently leading him to Kyo's bench, helping him sit down before taking my own seat, "He's got a bit of a weird sense of humor, that's all."

"I suppose..." Hisui allowed, still sounding a bit out of sorts.

When Yukimura came back out with the tea and sake, he was dressed in his more familiar attire. Saizo followed in attendance, bearing a plate of dango.

"Was the way up very exhausting?" Yukimura asked amiably after the drinks had been passed around and we had had a chance to catch our breath, "I must say that Migeira-san's route of choice was a particularly arduous one. You all would have done much better to take the pilgrims' trail."

"Ano, yes, it was rather a difficult hike," Hisui admitted, swallowing a mouthful of dango, "but we would have reached your home all the same, would we have not?"

"True," Yukimura conceded, gently rolling his teacup between his hands, "Mind you, I would have enjoyed inviting such good friends into my home, but as things stand now, that's rather impossible."

I cocked my head to one side at his odd comment. "Why do you say that, Yukimura-san?" Then something else occurred to me. "Have you been attacked by...?"

"Oh no, hardly that, Yuya-san!" Yukimura interrupted with a laugh, holding up a hand, "I'm merely being bothered by unwanted company!"

"'Company'?" Hisui echoed, "What sort of company would inconvenience you so, Sanada-dono?"

"The worst kind," replied Yukimura with a mysterious smirk. He glanced up at the trees, shielding his eyes from the sunlight. "Kousuke has been kind enough to deal with them today so that I could come here to greet you. I do hope she isn't having to put up with too much trouble for my sake."

"The Sanada Juyuushi are prepared to take on any task to serve you, Yukimura-sama; you should not concern yourself unless it is for the matter at hand," Saizo spoke up unexpectedly.

"Excellent advice, Saizo," Yukimura said (almost patronizingly, but I don't think Saizo picked up on it). He smiled at Hisui. "I believe _you_ are the one in particular who wished to talk to me."

"Yes, I am," Hisui replied, setting down his teacup and getting to his feet. He bowed politely and said, "I respectfully request from Sanada Yukimura-dono the company of his vassal, Sarutobi Sasuke-dono, to prevent a disastrous future." He paused before adding, "Japan's fate hangs in the balance and the lives of many thousands depend on your answer."

I give Yukimura full credit for not laughing his head off or responding with his katana. He merely said, "Go on," and listened to Hisui, not passing judgment until the kid had said all he had told us before: that another demon gate would open, that the world of Nobunaga's vision was only a fraction of the horror to come, the order by which the land would fall to darkness. Yet again, Hisui seemed to become years older in a moment, no hint of awkwardness or uncertainty in his presence.

Through it all, I watched Yukimura, trying to gauge his thoughts, but I actually had better luck reading Kyo that night in Tokubo. Yukimura might as well have been playing mah-jongg with the winning tile set for all that he let show.

"You are in earnest," Yukimura said blandly when Hisui finished his oration.

"Yes, I am, Sanada-dono," replied Hisui, bowing again.

Yukimura sat back, his bangs hiding his eyes.

"Yukimura-sama?" Saizo ventured cautiously, after a full minute had passed and Yukimura had made no sound or movement.

"Saizo...do you believe what this boy is telling us?" Yukimura asked.

Saizo blinked, his eyes flicking toward Hisui for a moment before he answered. "I do find myself wondering if he is suffering from a delusion, Yukimura-sama," he said in a low voice.

Hisui bit his bottom lip and clenched his hands into fists, while Migeira narrowed his eyes at Saizo. Kyo didn't seem to be paying attention to anything but his sake.

"Hm, that would be quite a reasonable assumption," Yukimura said after a beat, "but I think I can safely say that Hisui-kun is quite sane and is telling the truth. Why else would Kyo-san agree to help him?"

Saizo's mouth opened slightly in surprise, but he wasn't alone; I think the only one who had expected it was Kyo. Yukimura smiled slightly. "My only question is, Hisui-kun," he continued, his voice deliberately conversational while his expression was anything but, "now that I know what is to come, what will prevent me from using the situation to my advantage? Why should I risk one of my friends on a venture to preserve the status quo, where the Tokugawa will continue to gain more control and usurp the rightful rule of the Toyotomi? Or even, the claim of the Sanada?"

_'I should have seen this coming,'_ I thought grimly, gritting my teeth against blurting out something that would only make the situation worse, _'I keep forgetting that Yukimura has his own agenda to pursue, and he's smart enough to seize an opportunity when he sees one.'_

"Sanada Yukimura..." Migeira began, and by his posture, I would have bet anything he was about to make a threat. Saizo noticed too, and reached for something inside his gi...

"Perhaps your clan stands to gain from an era of chaos," Hisui said softly, making both men pause and look at him, "But I have seen a dark future for you, Sanada Yukimura-dono, even with your present foreknowledge of what is to come."

"Oh?" Yukimura asked, raising an eyebrow.

"In the time that is to come... the chaotic tide of war will favor no man for long; even if one general can ride the crest of the wave to heights above all others, it is inevitable that he will be dashed on the rocks below when the wave recedes." The kid didn't even seem to be talking to Yukimura anymore; his eyes were distant, his words flat as though he was speaking from a dream. "There will come a day of reckoning for all the warlords of Japan, and yours will be more disastrous than most. You will lose every single one of your comrades, not only on the battlefield, but also to sickness and the assassin's knife. You alone will be spared, shielded by their devotion until the last falls. And when this happens, driven by the madness of despair and loneliness, you will take your own life."

The silence following his pronouncement was absolute. I found myself gaping at Hisui. Whether it was from the import of what he had just said or from his audacity, I can't be certain, but I do know one thing: it left a cold, hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach. I could sense the truth in his prediction. _'If he has seen something like that in Yukimura's fate, could it be that he has seen the personal fate of others?'_

Yukimura set his teacup on the bench beside him as he got to his feet. "If we are lucky, my other guests will have been sent on their way. I would be most gratified if you all accompanied me to my home," he said cheerfully as he began walking away.

We had no choice but to abandon our own tea cups and hurry after him. It was then that I began to understand why Saizo appeared to be a nervous wreck all the time. Trying to keep up with Yukimura's mood swings would drive anyone to distraction.

-

With Yukimura and Saizo as our guides, we made much better time, along a much more forgiving trail that Migeira later admitted he'd had no clue about. As we walked, Yukimura kept up a steady stream of light, inconsequential banter, discussing nearly every aspect of the natural beauty of Kudoyama, whether it be a particular tree or rock formation or what have you. Migeira replied with all due politeness, though he was probably impatient to get Yukimura's answer to Hisui's request.

As for myself, I kept my eyes on Hisui, who remained uncharacteristically silent as we walked. His words of warning to Yukimura continued to echo in my head; Migeira had said Hisui was incapable of lying and my own assessment of the boy agreed with him. _'Can that truly be the fate that awaits Yukimura and the Jyuyuushi if we aren't able to prevent Hisui's vision from coming to pass?'_

"Here we are!" Yukimura announced, abruptly wrapping up a rather long-winded discourse on the falls that could be found on the northern shoulder of the mountain.

We were standing in the midst of a rather sprawling bamboo grove, and I could see nothing but swaying green stalks and slender leaves in all directions. But then a stronger breeze made the stalks bend and I caught a glimpse of what could only be the front of a house, not twenty paces from where we stood. A narrow path cut straight through the bamboo, right up to the covered porch. The wind shifted and the path and the house seemed to vanish in an instant.

"That's pretty clever," I couldn't help but say.

Yukimura grinned. "Of course, I can't claim credit for the idea," he said, clapping Saizo on the shoulder, "My dear Saizo is the one who has "master gardener" among his many talents."

I swear Saizo blushed at the praise.

"Ah, we're in luck," Yukimura observed as he preceded us up the path to the house, "It seems that my other guests have taken their leave."

"How do you...?" I started to ask, when the front door of the house slid open and Kousuke stepped out onto the porch.

"Okaerinasai, Yukimura-sama, Saizo," she greeted with a smile. She was dressed in an outfit identical to Yukimura's in every way (even going so far as to have bound her breasts, I noticed).

"Tadaima, Kousuke," Yukimura replied cheerfully.

Kousuke looked over his shoulder at us. "Ah, so they have arrived," she said, coming down the steps, "Welcome, all of you, to my master's home."

"Thank you for your kind regards, milady," spoke up Hisui with a bow.

Kousuke's smile broadened as she returned the favor. "Such politeness from someone so young," she murmured, "It's a shame that not everyone has the benefit of good breeding."

I raised my eyebrow at that one, but managed to catch the glance that Kousuke sent to Saizo and Yukimura. Obviously, she wasn't making the remark for Hisui's benefit. Given her duties as Yukimura's kagemusha and Yukimura's earlier reference to unwanted company, I guessed _someone_ had been giving her a hard time of late.

"It _is _a shame," Yukimura agreed ingenuously, "I trust our visitors have been sent on their way as planned."

"Not entirely, Yukimura-sama," Kousuke said, with the slightest stress coming to her smile.

Yukimura's demeanor did not waver for an instant. "I see." He turned to us and shrugged. "I apologize, but I must take my leave of you all for now. In the meantime, please rest, for you've had a rather hard journey. Saizo, if you would be so kind as to show our friends to the guest house..."

"Yes, Yukimura-sama," Saizo said with a bow.

The guest house which Saizo led us to was an outbuilding to the rear of the main house complex, almost out of sight of it thanks to yet another strategic grove of bamboo. In fact, one could have stumbled across it and assumed it was house unto itself. Shoji divided the house into three rooms, each about eight tatami. Migeira and Hisui were given the eastern room, while Kyo and I took the western one; the center room with its fire-pit hearth would serve whatever purpose we cared to make of it.

"Did any of that strike you as odd?" I asked Kyo after we had a chance to settle down, "I wonder just who it is that's making Yukimura-san act like this. He's behaving even more enigmatic than he usually does."

"None of our business, really," Kyo answered, going out onto the back porch to sit down. I followed his example, since the room was rather stuffy from not having been aired for some time.

"Maybe so, but still..." I looked out over the back yard, which was a sizeable clearing that ended abruptly at the forest edge about a hundred paces from where Kyo and I sat. Nearer to the house was a well and beside that was a small bathhouse.

_'All the comforts of home, ne?'_ I thought, my attention drifting toward the forest beyond. Off to my right, the sun was beginning to set, a wavering orange-red ball above the western horizon. Rising above the trees and silhouetted by the mountain's peak before us, I caught sight the three-tiered facade of a pagoda that could not have been anymore than a half a _li_ away, gilded by the dying light of day. "Is there a temple nearby?" I asked aloud in surprise, suddenly recalling Yukimura's mention of a pilgrims' trail.

"Aa. The monks of the temple don't hold any affection for the Tokugawa, so they were more than happy to give sanctuary to his enemy," Kyo said replied off-handedly.

_'Yukimura taking shelter in a monastery? Now I _know _there's something wrong with the universe!'_ Then again, Yukimura's house had probably been built exclusively for use by upper-class pilgrims who came to visit the temple, not for the monks themselves. But I still found myself trying to imagine Yukimura as a bald-headed monk, piously meditating and chanting sutras...

"If you're going to be ill, go back into the room and lie down," Kyo told me, as though I were a child.

"I'm fine," I mumbled, shaking my head to clear away the traumatizing mental image. I knelt down beside him and breathed a sigh of relief; it felt good to just relax, even if I knew it would only be for a little while!

Heat shimmered up from the ground and the creaking song of crickets was making me drowsy. I hadn't eaten since breakfast and I needed a bath, but sleep seemed ever so much more appealing just then. I leaned against Kyo and let my eyes drift closed...

"Yuya-dono! Yuya-dono!"

"Gah!" I yelped, jerked out of my doze by someone yelling my name at the top of their lungs. _'Who! What! Where!'_ my poor, sleep-fogged brain rattled dazedly.

"Yuya-dono!"

_'Hisui...'_ I realized, knowing only one person used that honorific. I turned my head just in time to see Hisui barrel down the length of the back porch from direction of his and Migeira's room. His face was flushed and his eyes were wide with what might have been excitement... or fear.

"Are you all right, Hisui-kun?" I asked anxiously, hurriedly getting to my feet as he approached.

"Yuya-dono, I...!" Just then, the poor kid tripped on... something, maybe the hem of his hakama or a knothole in one of the boards. In either case, down he went, flat on his face with a resounding _thud!_ and a painful exclamation of surprise.

"Hisui-kun!" I cried, going over to him, "Are you all right!"

Behind me, Kyo "tch!"-ed disdainfully. I would have spared a moment to glare at him if I wasn't occupied with Hisui.

"Itai... I am all right, Yuya-dono," Hisui groaned softly, getting painfully onto his hands and knees, politely waving away my efforts to help. Very carefully, he pulled himself into a sitting position, his face bright red, mostly from embarrassment, though his chin had a nice abrasion from the grain of the wood. "I suppose I let my excitement run ahead of my feet."

"Oh good," I said, breathing a sigh of relief and smiling at him, "For a moment, I thought you had gotten hurt somehow or been attacked!"

"Sumimasen," he mumbled, ducking his head and coloring an even darker shade of scarlet.

"Just be more careful, okay?" I replied, delicately cupping my hand under his chin, "Now let me see that scrape."

"But..."

"Hisui-kun," I said sternly. Hisui obediently raised his face, biting his lower lip as I inspected his chin. It oozed miniature beads of blood, but was clear of any splinters or debris; it would heal quickly with only one application of the ointment I had in my chest for just such wounds. "Sit here while I go get something to put on it."

"As you say, Yuya-dono."

"What happened?" I looked up and saw Migeira striding toward us, his eyes fixed with mild concern on Hisui.

"The brat tripped and now Yuya has to coddle him," Kyo answered acerbically.

"He's got a bit of a scrape on his chin, otherwise he's all right," I explained to Migeira as I rose, giving Kyo a disapproving Look for his juvenile behavior. Kyo frowned at me, and would probably have said something in retort if I hadn't gone back into the room to get the ointment.

"... befits a priest of your rank to conduct himself in a more composed manner," Migeira was lecturing Hisui as I came back out with the small jar of ointment and a patch of gauze to cover the scrape, "You cannot afford to be so careless or incautious, Hisui. Consider where you are."

"Yes, Migeira-oji-san," said Hisui in a small voice.

"All he did was trip, Migeira-san," I pointed out, "You don't need to be so hard on him!" Migeira stiffened, the expression on his face clearly indicating that he didn't appreciate me undermining his authority in regards to his nephew. He had every right to be displeased with me, but as far as I was concerned, he was overreacting.

"So, if you weren't in danger and you hadn't hurt yourself...yet, anyway, what were you shouting about earlier?" I asked Hisui after I finished applying the ointment and covering it with the gauze.

"Oh!" Hisui, who had been sitting meekly quiet as I administered to him, suddenly became extremely animated. "Yuya-dono, I found something that I must show you!" He grabbed my hand and practically dragged me behind him as he ran back toward the far end of the guesthouse.

"Whoa, slow down there, Hisui-kun!" I called as he jumped off the end of the porch in a headlong rush. I flinched, anticipating another painful spill.

Thankfully, my dire prediction did not come to pass. "Look, Yuya-dono!" he exclaimed, turning around and flinging one hand behind him.

I looked past Hisui and gasped. Spreading out before me was a garden, extraordinary not for its beauty, but for the profusion and variety of medicinal plants it contained. "Amazing," I breathed as I stepped down from the porch and approached the garden.

"I thought I recognized several plants," Hisui said, crouching down at the garden's edge, his hand splayed out softly over the bending green tops, "This is ginseng is it not, Yuya-dono?"

I crouched beside him to look more closely at the plant in question. "Yes, it is," I answered with a measure of surprise, for ginseng is a rarely found growing in the wild or in gardens in Japan – most of it comes from Korea or China. The only time I had seen it grown in a setting such as this was on Taka-sensei's mountain. Right next to the ginseng, separated by a line of smooth, rounded stones was a growth of angelica. "This is called angelica, or _danggui_ in Chinese," I told Hisui, drawing his attention to it, "Do you know what it is used for?"

"Ano... it is used to replenish and invigorate blood and reduce pain from diseases of the blood?" Hisui said carefully after a moment's thought.

"Right," I replied with a smile, "but it can also be used for external injuries, to help with the mending of wounds. I use it in that ointment I put on your scrape."

"Is that so?" Hisui asked, his hand going unconsciously to his chin. His quick eyes fastened on another herb. "This one is hemlock!" he cried, shifting over to it.

"Hemlock?" I echoed, certain he had to be mistaken. But no, the plant in question was in every way like the specimen Taka-sensei had shown to me in one of her many lessons.

"I've only read of one reference to it," Hisui mentioned, scrutinizing the segmented dark leaves and sprays of white flowerets, "The apothecary book of Avicenna-sensei's _Canon_ lists it among herbs used in poultices for scrofulous disorders and tinctures to treat violent fits."

"Well, yes," I murmured, still not quite over my surprise at having seen hemlock, a deadly poisonous Western plant my sensei had only rarely used in her medicines. That was why it took me several seconds to process what exactly Hisui had said. "You know of Avicenna!" I blurted, rounding on Hisui so sharply he fell over sideways.

"Ano... yes, I do," he said with a gulp, "My great-aunt brought back a copy of the _Canon_ from her western journeys. After I learned enough Latin, my tutor would have me translate extracts from it."

He could have sucker-punched me and gotten the same reaction. _'I must be hearing things!'_ I thought, gaping at him. "Your... great-aunt?"

Hisui nodded. "Himiko-oba-sama is the sister of my mother's mother."

_'Himiko? Ah, then it couldn't be Taka-sensei. What was I thinking, anyway? The coincidence would be just _too_ coincidental!'_ Of course, that there would be two women who traveled to the Western lands and brought back two copies of Avicenna's _Canon of Medicine_ was also rather too much of a coincidence...

"...so fascinated by the book you lent me." Hisui had kept on chattering, seemingly oblivious to the fact he had temporarily lost his audience. "Avicenna-sensei's thoughts on humours and temperaments were somewhat beyond my skill to read directly from Latin, and I am glad she was finally able to settle on a satisfactory translation into Japanese, though I think Himiko-oba-sama integrated some Chinese philosophy to make it... Yuya-dono, are you feeling faint?"

"Hisui-kun..."

"Yes?"

I had to say everything very slowly and very carefully, so that I would not make a mistake. "The book I lent you... it was an extract from Avicenna's _Canon of Medicine..._"

"Yes." Hisui was giving me a look that clearly indicated he had no idea what I was getting at.

"And that book was translated by the person who taught me medicine... Taka-sensei."

"Yes," he responded readily, once again.

"Okay. Good. Now that we've established that... you're saying that the person who wrote that book, being my sensei, is also your great-aunt?"

"Of course," Hisui said, tilting his head to one side and looking at me curiously, "I recognized her distinct calligraphy style right off. Did I not mention that when you lent it to me?"

"No," I said, forcing myself to keep my face and voice neutral, "I think you neglected that little tidbit of information."

"Oh." Hisui bit his lip and flushed slightly. "My apologies, Yuya-dono, but I must have been so eager to read the book that I forgot..."

"It's okay," I said, holding up a hand to cut him off. I was still a bit off-kilter from the revelation, but that wasn't really the kid's fault. "I was just surprised... well, shocked, to tell you the truth. Taka-sensei never mentioned that she had a family."

"Ah, I am not surprised," Hisui said ruefully, sitting back and crossing his legs comfortably (up till that point, he had remained crouched, ready to run, should I give signs of flying off the handle). "Himiko-oba-sama was always a free spirit. That is why you knew her by the name "Taka" - she liked being free as the hawks that ride the wind. It is said that she thought "Himiko" was far too grand and stuffy a name for someone who never wanted to do only what was expected of her. That was one of the main reasons she left the clan for good before I was born; she refused to become a clan elder and sit at home while she could be helping people."

"That...certainly sounds like her," I admitted, remembering how Taka-sensei made regular rounds of the villages at the foot of her mountain with me in tow.

Hisui smiled. "Himiko-oba-sama is another person I wish I could be like, besides Migeira-oji-san," he continued, obviously pleased to talk about someone he admired, "If I had been born a hundred years ago, I could have been old enough to accompany her on her expedition to the West. Himiko-oba-sama was thirteen when she petitioned the clan elders and received permission to explore the lands beyond Japan – the same age I am now. Of course, it took her more than thirty years to get back to Japan, but everything she brought back with her, books and plant specimens and stories, were worth more than any jade or gold she might have procured, do you not agree, Yuya-dono?"

"Yes," I said, smiling at his enthusiasm. Amazing how he could be so grown-up and beyond his years in some situations, and then so childlike in most others.

"Of course, I never met her, but I have heard the stories of her travels and read some of the books she left behind when she left the clan. My mother used to..." Hisui's face clouded suddenly, his words faltering. "I mean, the stories about her were always my favorites, because she was so brave and wise," he said in a rush, playing with a blade of grass near his left foot.

_'Hm?'_ It didn't take a genius to pick up on the strain in his voice. _'Did something happen to his mother?'_ I wondered, but there was no tactful way to ask, considering his agitation. Instead, I tried diverting his attention with another topic, but before I could come up with one, his next words stopped me cold:

"How was Himiko-oba-sama when you parted ways with her, if I might inquire?"

Staring down into my lap, I clenched my hands in my kimono. I could sense him looking at me, hoping for good tidings of his revered aunt. How could I tell him that Taka-sensei was dead, that she had died and I could do nothing to save her? "Hisui-kun, I'm sorry, but..."

"She has died."

I started and turned to look at him. Hisui's grey-and-green eyes were fixed blankly on the blade of grass he had been toying with.

"I'm sorry," I said again, not quite knowing what else to say, "I... two months ago, she got very sick suddenly, and I didn't know how to cure her. I did everything I could, but it didn't help, she just... I couldn't...!" Grief and guilt, as fresh as on that horrible day, constricted my throat. I bowed my head, willing myself not to cry. "I'm sorry, Hisui-kun, I'm so sorry."

We sat there, wordlessly, for some time. The sun, which had been so warm on my back, set behind the house, plunging us into cool twilight.

"She... she is very proud of you, Yuya-dono," Hisui said all of a sudden. His hand rested on mine, squeezing it gently. "That night in Tokubo, you helped so many people, using what she taught you. I have never had the opportunity to witness such compassion and dedication. There is no teacher who would be ashamed of a student like you, who has carried on her legacy."

_'That's the second person who's told me to stop feeling sorry for myself,'_ I thought, the strangest urge to laugh out loud stealing over me, _'Maybe it's time to stop being so stubborn...'_

"Yuya-dono...?" Hisui asked worriedly, obviously taking my silence as something disquieting.

"You know, Kyo said pretty much the same thing," I told Hisui, brushing my free hand across my eyes to wipe away any trace moisture before I smiled at him, "I guess I really ought to take good advice when it's given, ne?"

"Kyo-dono said...?" Hisui echoed, probably surprised that Kyo could actually show some sort of empathy.

"Yes," I said, "And you're both right; Taka-sensei was an extraordinary woman and teacher and I'm proud to have learned from her."

Hisui smiled in return. "And one day, you'll be just as good as her!" he pronounced with certainty, clasping my hand between both of his, "Yuya-dono, I...!"

"Hisui-kun, what is it?" I asked as Hisui lowered his face, his words fumbling away into incomprehensible mumbles.

"Yuya-dono, I... ano... you are..."

I leaned in close, trying to make sense of his babbling.

"You are probably quite exhausted from today's journey, would you like me to draw the bath for you?" he blurted suddenly, dropping my hand and leaping to his feet.

"Um... okay," I agreed, blinking at the sudden change in conversation as well as his actions, "Do you want some help?"

"Oh, no, I can ask Migeira-oji-san if I have need of assistance!" he called over his shoulder as he literally sprinted for the house.

_'I guess Yukimura's not the only one who's acting oddly today,'_ I mused as I hefted myself to my feet.

I must have stood up too quickly, because I was suddenly enveloped in a wave of dizziness, my vision going dark for a moment. Wavering on unsteady feet, I would have fallen if someone hadn't been right there to catch me.

"I knew there was a reason I didn't like that brat," Kyo's voice sounded in my ear, "I can't believe that old witch had human relatives."

Glad as I was that he had kept me from falling, I felt strangely outraged (and mortified) that Kyo had been eavesdropping on something that had become quite personal, not only for me, but Hisui as well. "Don't you know it's not polite to spy on people?" I hissed, pulling away from him.

Kyo caught me again just in time. "I told you to lie down if you weren't feeling well," he said sharply, "Why do you have to be so damned stubborn, letting yourself be dragged around by that brat?" I yelped as he suddenly swung me up into his arms, lifting me completely off the ground.

"He didn't drag me around, and I'm not being stubborn!" I retorted, struggling, "As for Hisui, stop calling him a brat; if anyone's being a brat around here, it's you. Now put me down!"

"Stop it or I'll put you over my shoulder," he said, glaring at me.

"You wouldn't dare," I snarled at him.

He certainly dared. "Kyo! Damn you, you perverted asshole, put me down!" I shouted, pounding his back with my fists and kicking with all my might.

"Didn't your beloved Taka-baba say something about healer's healing themselves?" he asked pointedly, ignoring my futile thrashing as he walked back to the house, "Take her advice if you're not going to listen to mine."

"Well, I'm surprised," I remarked sarcastically, giving up on punches and kicks (they weren't doing any good, and besides, I was getting woozy from the blood rushing to my head), "I'd think that after someone thwacks Onime no Kyo across the shins with a walking stick and then advises me to do the same, he wouldn't give one mon for their opinion!"

Bringing up our first, memorable meeting with the woman who would become my sensei probably wasn't the wisest thing to do, considering my position; it certainly wasn't Kyo's favorite memory. I felt Kyo's shoulders tense beneath me, but instead of dumping me on the ground like I seriously thought he would, he ignored me completely and stepped up onto the deck.

"Brat, how long is it going to take you to fill that damned bath?"

"Ano... it will not be long, Kyo-dono," was Hisui's reply. I couldn't see his face (for obvious reasons) but I could tell he was probably staring at Kyo in shock and most likely blushing at the undignified view he had of me. "Migeira-oji-san had the foresight to start filling it some time ago..."

"Fine," Kyo said abruptly, "Go get a change of clothes for Yuya from our room."

"What!" I demanded shrilly, making a serious effort to lever myself up off his shoulder, "I can get my own damn stuff Kyo, so don't you even think...!"

"Ano..." a feminine (and oddly familiar) voice broke in behind me, "Sanada Yukimura-dono asked that I escort you to his house for dinner, but..."

After a strenuous effort that made my clothes and hair more awry than they already were, I managed to push myself up enough to look over my shoulder at the newcomer. "Mahiro-san," I gasped, "what are _you_ doing here?"

-

Narrator here. Blarh – yet again, another difficult chapter to write. This time it was mainly because I was trying to keep Yukimura in character; he's such a complex guy that it is almost too easy to emphasize one aspect of his character to the detriment of all the others.

**Yukimura:** You flatter me, Narrator-san. (wide grin)

**Narrator: **(incomprehensible, and most likely vile, muttering)

**Yukimura: **(wider grin)

-

**Music for this chapter:**

Boccherini's _La Musica Notturna delle Strade di Madrid No. 6, Opus 30_

Mozart's _Violin Concerto No. 3, K 216_

-

**Dictionary:**

_"Okaerinasai"_ - "Welcome home."

_"Tadaima" - _"I'm home."

_kagemusha – _lit. "shadow warrior," but more accurately translated as something like "body-double." As we all know from the anime and the manga, Kousuke masqueraded as her lord, Yukimura, to keep up the illusion that he was still holed up on Kudoyama when he was traveling with Kyo (or doing whatever Yukimura does when he plays hooky.)

_Ichigo no Ocha-ya –_ lit. "Strawberry Teahouse." What can I say, I was having a _Tokyo Mew Mew_ moment... (has brief vision of Yukimura dressed like Ichigo in battle mode) Argh!

_Tatami – _traditional straw mats used as a floor covering. The dimensions of a room are measured by how many tatami it takes to cover the floor (1 tatmi – 1.8m x .9m, so 8 tatami … I'll let _you_ do the math!)

_Avicenna _and **_The Canon of Medicine - _**_Abu 'Ali al-Husayn ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Sina_, or Avicenna (as he was known by European Christians) was an 11th century "renaissance" man and physician from Iran, who compiled a landmark five-part encyclopedia _(**Kitab al-qanun fi al-tibb** _if you want to use the original title) of the medical knowledge of the time, the Golden Age of the Arab Empire. The first book of the _Canon_, the a_l-kulliyat, _dealt with general medical principles and was often regarded as a separate text in Europe. The second book is an apothecary, covering simple drugs and the materials necessary to make all sorts of medicine, in alphabetical order. The third is on therapy, arranged in order of the site of the ailment from head to toe, in 22 chapters (_funun_). The fourth book is on those diseases not restricted to a single part of the body, such as fevers. The final book presents recipes for compound remedies. The knowledge in the _Canon_ was considered so complete that Latin-translated texts of it, especially the first book, were part of the standard reading materials for European medical universities well into the sixteenth century. There are no modern language translations of the complete _Canon _in existence today.

_Angelica, hemlock, ginseng – _these herbs all have, or were considered to have, medicinal purposes as they are described.

**Additional Sources:** A Treatise on the Canon of Medicine of Avicenna O. Cameron Gruner

A Modern Herbal, Vol. 1. M. Grieve

Fordham University Website

* * *

**To My Reviewers: ** Thanks once again for all your positive feedback! Unfortunately, as I am graduating this semester, I'm going to have less time to devote to _Intermezzo._ The updates are going to farther apart and more irregular from here until about June or July. Sorry, but that's how life is… (sniffle!) 

**Triste1:** Glad you liked Hisui – I basically made him out to be Kyo's antithesis, with the anticipation of a tense relationship between them. As him being kinda pitiful... well, remember this is the first time he's ever been in „the real world," so of course he's going to mess up... a _lot!_

**Renara:** Okay-be! Glad I got that vote of confidence, 'cuz I am most definitely a Rationalist, so romance is hard to write.

**Placid Snowflake: **(edges toward silverware drawer) I'm not giving up, so don't worry, but please don't hurt me for not updated as much as I have! (cowers)

**Ginny-cry:** Salute to a fellow Battousai fan-girl! Heck yeah, Battousai's hot, and Kyo too I suppose, when they... erm, yes, I suppose you get the idea.

**animegrl1047:** Not counting reviewer replies, about 11 pages, single spaced, Verdana 9 pt. Font, .2 in upper/lower border, .7 left/right borders. It's my standard template, since I print most of what I write, and that's the most cost-saving way of doing it. I have no idea why Akimino-sensei did not have Migeira in the manga, and you're right, he should've been! He actually did have a couple of drawings of Migeira included in the SDK manga artbook though, so I guess he contributed to the character design of the manga? (shrugs)

**luna-magic-2005:** While I'm not completely innocent of writing off-the-cuff, throw-away SDK fics myself (as you probably know), I'm glad you enjoy my attempt at a serious endeavor. And don't worry about being insulting or blabbery – not like reviews on are supposed to be on the level of book reviews for the NY Times!

**Calvin no hoshi:** Yeah, I have fun writing that last bit of _Largo. _(grin) I wanted to show that Kyo has a sense of humor, even if it's twisted and often at the expense of others. As for writing from Yuya's point-of-view, it's actually easier than writing from the third person omniscient, which is how I was going to write this fic. Yuya is a lot like me, so I figure my reaction to a situtation would be much like hers. And according to a lot of the reviews, it seems to be working. Sweet! (capers) **P.S. - **If you really want to make Narrator happy, leave a review on _Statistically Speaking!_ I'm such a glutton for positive reinforcement (I also have no shame)

**Kitsune55:** Er, please don't hurt me for saying that I'm not going to be updating as often. And yes, Kyo has more than „heartless bastard" mode. If you're in to character development, expect a lot for him in the near future!

**The-Lone-Lemon:** Again, no hurties because I won't be updating so often!

**Nekozuki1776:** You know, you're absolutely right – a team that's going to save the world needs a name. Bugger hell, now I'm going to have to do more research! „How about Yongokusei? Shiraisen?" If you could tell me what those names mean, I'd be more than happy to use them! Of course, now I'm imagining the scenario in which the characters discuss their name… (snickers evilly) Oh, yes, I'll definitely have to write that! The tabi thing was something that popped into my head as I was typing, so I just used it – I'm glad you found it funny. As for Hisui – yep, he's going to be lot's of fun in coming chapters! **P.S. – **I've done a fanart inspired by your fic, _I Would Never Hurt You._ You can find it on Mini Tokyo in my gallery, under the member name _sylvacoer._ (I'd give you the link, but for some reason, isn't letting me copy webpage links onto my submissions)

**Starian Princess:** To be entirely truthful, I don't have much of a social life, so apart from studying, I can write whole blocks of stories in my head. It's great for writing research papers, but Lord, sometimes when I'm writing my humor fics during a boring lecture, I start giggling to myself and thus earn weird stares from my classmates (those who are still awake at least). Glad you likie!

**LadyWater2010:** Yeah, but why do growing pains have to be so hard, gundammit! (sniffle) Thank you for all your encouraging words.

**Arin Ross/Arain Rowan:** (slurps her sweet hot chai) Ah, yes! The world would be a sadder place without tea. The thing about cattail pollen is from research I've done on traditional Chinese medicine. I really don't know for certain, as I've never tried it myself, but then I'm not an herbalist. **P.S. – **Good luck on your story!

**Bedeviled Temptress:** Thank you for your resounding endorsement! I'll try to keep it up, but research for my other classes might interfere with the depth into which I write about 17th century Japanese history…

**Vegita-dias:** As Yuya observed in _Andante Espressivo,_ any declarations of love on Kyo's part or outpourings of intemperate praise would probably be regarded as symptoms of some horrific disease; as for Yuya herself, she still has some issues as to guarding her heart from those who could hurt it (even Kyo, whom she trusts completely). I'm going to have to play with that dimension of their relationship further now; thanks for bringing it up!

Salute!


	6. Minuet

**Disclaimer: **It's still not mine; not matter how many times I check, Akimine-sensei's is still on every copy of _Samurai Deeper Kyo _manga…

**Pre-chapter Author Notes: **I can't believe how many of your reviews have admonished me for not updating in so long (cringe). I actually don't know if this chapter is going to make up for it, but I tried, I really did! Unfortunately, there's going to be another long delay before the next one, unless I can find a job really soon…

Being an adult sucks sometimes.

-------------------------------------------------------

**_Intermezzo_**

_Chapter 5: Minuet_

"… though given the amount of time Tokugawa devoted to securing his hold on the provinces who stand by their loyalty to the Toyotomi," Yukimura was saying, smiling pleasantly at his assembled guests, "I suppose he cannot be blamed for the fact that Edo retains much of its dispossessed origins, ne Migeira-san?" He might have addressed the question to Migeira only because Migeira happened to be the one sitting directly across from him, but it was open to everyone in the room.

"Tokugawa did a remarkable job of transforming a humble fishing village into a powerful military center, worthy of supporting a claimant to the title of shogun," Migeira allowed, his phrasing calm and diplomatic, "Naturally, though, such progress cannot be matched in all sectors of development. Given time…"

"Oh, yes, time," interrupted Yukimura with a laugh, "Such a valuable commodity and so often undervalued. Much like fidelity owed to one's lord and master."

I bit down hard on the umeboshi I had just placed in my mouth as I looked over at Yukimura's other dinner guests. Sanada Nobuyuki's expression did not change, as if Yukimura had just made an inconsequential observation about the price of daikon; Mahiro, kneeling in attendance behind him, stiffened, but otherwise did not react.

Meeting Mahiro earlier that evening had been something of a shock, not only because it had been at least three years since I had last seen her, but also because of what her presence at Kudoyama portended. There was no way that she, an Iga kunoichi, loyal vassal and personal bodyguard of the shogun himself, could have waltzed into the stronghold of Tokugawa's Enemy #1 on a mere whim, even taking her part in our little adventure into consideration.

When Yukimura's elder brother sat down to dinner across from me, I began to understand the situation, especially Yukimura's earlier odd behavior. No matter what happened at Ieyasu's tournament three years ago, there was probably still a lot of tension between two brothers who stood on opposite sides of the fiercest political war in Japan to date. So far, I had only the vaguest of ideas as to why Nobuyuki was visiting his brother at all – it certainly wasn't out of a sudden desire to renew familial bonds, if Yukimura's attitude and insinuative comments throughout dinner had been any clue.

"I wonder if the roshi of this temple would be so kind as to allow my nephew and I to attend a sermon while we avail ourselves of your hospitality, Yukimura-san," Migeira said, bravely trying to find some new direction of conversation to divert the building tension in the room, "Certainly you, as an honored guest of the monastery, would have some small influence to make a request on our behalf."

"I would gladly do such a favor for you, Migeira-san," Yukimura answered benevolently, "Though Gokuro-sama will be disappointed that I am not asking for my own sake. He believes I allow too much of my attention to my spirit to be diverted by my earthly pursuits. But then, I can look forward to plenty of time to spend in contemplation on this mountain, should the climate remain unchanged."

_'Nice try, Migeira-san, but I think Yukimura's a little too wound up at this point to let things drift,'_ I thought sympathetically. It was enough to spoil one's appetite, which was really a pity, given the quality of the dinner. The bland saltiness of the nijimasu no shiyaki was perfectly balanced against the vinegary pique of the sunomono and sweet umeboshi; I wondered briefly if either Saizo or Kousuke were the talented chef, since it made sense that only Yukimura's most trusted subordinates would prepare his meals. Poison is too often the convenient solution for political (perhaps even familial) problems...

As long as I was thinking of poisons, I wondered if Yukimura would let me use the plants in his herb garden. The hemlock would come in handy for my needles, but there were also a multitude of other, more benign plants I could use for medicines that would come in handy down the road. _'Too bad it isn't autumn; that way all the root plants would be ready for harvesting...'_ Ginger especially would be useful for treating the altitude and heat sickness I had been experiencing of late. I'd have to check and make sure no one else was having problems adjusting...

Lost in my own little world, I didn't follow the flow of conversation until I felt, rather than saw, Kyo stiffen beside me. I looked at him quizzically, but before I could ask what was wrong, Hisui spoke up in a shocked voice:

"'Siege cannon' Yukimura-dono? Surely you are mistaken."

_'Okay, obviously I missed something.'_ Since everyone was staring at Yukimura with differing degrees of either shock or censure, I turned my attention to our host.

"I think not, since it was an underling of Hanzo-san himself who confirmed the intelligence reports that have been coming to me for the last six months," Yukimura retorted pleasantly enough, but there was an icy edge of steel in his voice that made me shiver. Behind him, seated in attendance like Mahiro, Saizo flinched.

"Perhaps Houjo-sama acted out of ill-tempered rashness to have so boldly threatened you, Yukimura," Nobuyuki interjected, "but such a matter should not be..."

"If you are worried that the secret dealings of the Tokugawa are in danger of being exposed by the present company, nii-san," said Yukimura, "you ought to have advised Hidetada-kun to exert more influence on his strategist. As it is, I'm sure Kyo-san and the rest of my guests have little desire to entangle themselves in the affairs of warlords. Ne, Kyo-san?"

"Makes no difference to me who thinks they're the ones ruling Japan," Kyo said with smirk.

"There, you see?" Yukimura asked his elder brother, as though that settled it, "What's done is done, nii-san, and try as you might, you can't erase the fact that the Tokugawa are going to challenge Toyotomi Hideyori-sama's claim directly, or that you countenanced a Tokugawa attempt to win my allegiance."

I raised my eyebrows at that. _'Well, that explains why Yukimura's been so pissy.' _I can't imagine being my usual charming self if _my_ sibling had called on me only to ask that I betray everything I held dear.

"You know that I had no part in it," replied Nobuyuki, his tone expressing no hint of whatever emotions he was holding behind his dispassionate mask, "I was as surprised as you when Houjo-sama made his boast."

"Surprised only in that your _friend_ Hanzo-san sent such an idiot on such an important errand and did not trust you with it himself?" Yukimura almost snapped, all trace of earlier feigned mirth evaporated from his demeanor.

Things were starting to get out of hand. By the way Nobuyuki's eyes flashed, this was just the latest outbreak in a long-running argument between the two brothers. Might they suddenly decide to abandon verbal sparring in favor of settling it with steel?

Abruptly, Nobuyuki got to his feet, his lips a thin line as he bowed to the room in general. "Please excuse me for the evening," he said shortly, opting to exit through the open shoji that led out onto the moonlit porch instead of through the shoji behind Yukimura. Mahiro was on her feet at almost the same instant; she bowed silently and followed Nobuyuki out into the night.

I could feel the tense silence that followed in the wake of their departure like a tight knot between my shoulders. Yukimura said nothing, but only picked up his chopsticks and resumed eating as though nothing had happened. Migeira and Kyo had no problem following his example, but I noticed that Hisui kept glancing at Yukimura and then at the empty tray Nobuyuki had left behind, an intensely worried expression on his face.

_'Something tells me this doesn't bode well for our little quest,'_ I thought numbly, fiddling with a bit of fishbone as I tried to adopt the same nonchalance as Kyo and the others, _'If Yukimura's been so directly threatened by an agent of the Tokugawa, he has no motivation whatsoever to help us, even with everything Hisui said earlier.'_ True, Yukimura had _seemed_ quietly accepting, but since when did he ever act without a hidden agenda of some sort? Someone in Yukimura's position, a samurai devoted to Toyotomi's heir and the fallen Western faction, exiled from his lands but still possessing the hearts and loyalty of his vassals and others besides, could survive only by manipulating any and every situation to his advantage. The future Hisui had illuminated might still appeal to him, if Yukimura was confident enough in his ability to defy Fate.

_'Not to mention the fact that we haven't even _seen _Sasuke since we arrived.'_ The complete absence of the young onimitsu was another thing that had begun to worry me intensely. Was it because he was hanging back, observing from the shadows until the time he (or Yukimura, for that matter) thought appropriate? Or was it because he wasn't even at Kudoyama? And if that was the case, why hadn't Yukimura mentioned it when Hisui named Sasuke as a desired member of our party? Was it some sort of delaying tactic on Yukimura's part – and for what purpose? He had known _something_ of the bizarre attacks on holy sites, he had said as much – did Yukimura know more than he had let on?

The more I thought about it, the darker and more sinister the entire set-up became. Tip-toeing around the matter was not going to get us anywhere, and if Hisui was right, we were on borrowed time already! _'He needs to be completely straight with us for once!'_

Only problem was, I really couldn't think of a way to make him be just that.

Yukimura set his chopsticks down with a sigh. "You all probably think that I am a disrespectful younger brother to have treated nii-san in such a manner in front of guests," he said lowly.

_'Eh?'_ Had some benevolent kami heard my plea or was Yukimura really feeling guilty all of a sudden?

"Partisan loyalties that divide families are not unusual, Sanada-dono," Migeira replied, "But I must admit that I am quite concerned to what you have alluded to tonight. Do you truly believe that the Tokugawa shogun will risk another civil war to cement his control over Japan? And that he will enlist the aid of foreigners to do so?"

Yukimura suddenly looked very tired as he nodded, once. "Perhaps the future your nephew envisioned will come to pass, no matter what you attempt to do to stop it. Unless of course," here he smiled again, but it was a pale, mocking parody of his customary mask, "you intend to eliminate all who seek to gain control of Japan and would thus go through any means to achieve that goal, even another destructive war. I include myself in that category."

"There must be a way to prevent a war, Sanada-dono," Hisui spoke up abruptly, "There are other avenues – you yourself befriended Tokugawa Hidetada several years ago and worked side-by-side with him to achieve a common goal! Could you not do the same thing again, when something so important, the fate of the people of Japan, rides in the balance?"

"We _had_ the same goal, Hisui-kun," said Yukimura with marked patience, "You must understand that things change."

"But why must it change?" Hisui pressed, even as Migeira laid a restraining hand on his arm, "What makes power so much more important than...!"

"I apologize, Sanada-dono, my nephew has led a very sheltered life and cannot be expected to fully comprehend the delicacy of the political situation at hand," Migeira interrupted forcefully; I noticed he kept his grip on Hisui's arm. Hisui, surprisingly enough, looked downright rebellious, instead of retreating immediately into deferential silence as I would have expected.

"Actually, from what he told me this afternoon, I thought your nephew was remarkably perceptive," said Yukimura, sounding more like himself, "But to answer his question, things must and do change – if it becomes necessary to keep the Sanada from being obliterated, to protect Toyotomi-sama, I myself will lead the charge into the heart of the Tokugawa camp and take his head. I would expect no less from the shogun."

_'Yukimura, you can't possibly mean..!'_ It's one thing to know something is the way it is in your mind, but it is something else entirely to have it confirmed. I suppose I am almost as naive as Hisui in that way; I _knew_ Yukimura could be a pragmatic bastard, but I wanted to deny it with all my heart when I heard him spell it out so plainly. When it came down to it, I _wanted_ to believe that Yukimura and Benitora would be loyal to their friends despite opportunities and damn good reasons to betray them, as they had those years ago.

"It can't come to that!" I protested, "Yukimura-san, you wouldn't! You wouldn't, and Benitora wouldn't! You were friends! Doesn't that mean anything?"

Migeira gave me a despairing look, obviously tempted to override me much the same way as he had Hisui. Kyo, meanwhile, watched the whole scene play out like it was on a stage. It pissed me off to no end that he hadn't even _tried _to convince Yukimura that what he was talking about was wrong! If anyone could knock some sense into Yukimura, it was Kyo, and yet he had done nothing to help.

"Ah, so Yuya-san has finally been informed of the true identity of our erstwhile comrade," Yukimura laughed, shooting Kyo a sidelong smirk, "How long did you keep her in the dark?"

"It must have slipped my mind," Kyo said neutrally.

"Hm, yes, there were more important things for you two to _discuss _than the guises worn by others." I'm pretty sure I blushed at the emphasis Yukimura placed on that particular word, and I glared death at him for being so inappropriate in front of Migeira and Hisui.

Kyo shrugged. "She would have figured it out sooner or later, if it was that important."

Actually, at the time Kyo let it slip, I thought it was _very_ important; just thinking about it (and the ensuing embarrassment resulting from remembering all the times I had manhandled the heir to the Tokugawa shogunate) was enough to rile me up even further.

"You are avoiding my question, Yukimura-san," I said pointedly, "Why must it be that way? Why must you fight against someone you called a friend?" I pretty much knew the answer already, but _something_ in me wanted to believe that there was something more important to samurai like Yukimura and his brother (and Benitora and even Kyo) than power!

Yukimura got to his feet, a pleasant smile on his face. "You are all quite tired from your journey, and I have been less than an ideal host, exposing you to these concerns of mine. It would be best if you were to retire now." He turned to leave, Saizo standing and opening the shoji for him. "Sasuke will return tomorrow evening from his errands in Osaka. Good night."

--------------------------------------

That night, I pointedly ignored Kyo as I got ready for bed. If I spoke to him, looked at him, even, I would have exploded, and an already horrible situation would have become infinitely worse. Nothing was going the way we needed it to, and he didn't even seem to care!

Still, I almost wished he had picked a fight with me, so I wouldn't be the only one guilty of stirring up discord. At least then I would have known something of what might be going on in his head. But no, the jerk mirrored my silence and attitude perfectly, almost as if _he _was the one giving _me _the cold shoulder! He didn't even join me on our futon, and opted to sleep with his back up against the wall beside the shoji, his katana propped up on his shoulder.

I fell asleep with tears of frustration stinging my eyes...

-----------------------------------------

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Yuya-dono!" Hisui greeted me cheerily as I stepped into the sunlit common room. The shoji doors on either side were open, allowing the cool morning breeze to waft through, but I could tell it was going to be another hot and humid day by its smell.

"Ohayo, Hisui-kun, Migeira-san," I said groggily as I knelt down beside Hisui. A small iron pot of miso bubbled on the glowing coals in the fire pit and there was another pot full of rice, but I consciously avoided looking at them. Thanks to my lovely night of frequently-interrupted sleep (due in no small part to stress, I imagine), I had woken up with a severe case of nausea once again.

"Where's Kyo?" I asked them. When I had woken up, I immediately noticed that Kyo's place against the wall was vacant. So early in the morning, and he was already avoiding me. That didn't bode well for the rest of the day.

"He went with Kousuke-san earlier this morning after she brought us this breakfast," Migeira said, ladling a bowl of miso for me. I refused it with a polite shake of my head.

"Why?"

"Yukimura wished to discuss something with him... in private," Migeira replied. Migeira was adept at keeping a stoic facade, but even I, as crappy and strung-out as I was feeling, could tell that he was rather anxious.

"Maybe he wanted to talk about last night's little episode," I suggested. _'But why hadn't he woken me up to tell me where he was going? Kyo no baka!'_

"Perhaps. It could be that he wanted Kyo's assessment of the situation."

"Kyo-dono might be our best advocate, after all," Hisui said hopefully, "Yukimura has every reason to trust him more than me or even ojii-sama."

_'That's assuming Kyo plans on going along with your little quest,'_ I thought. I still couldn't figure out if Kyo had committed himself the way Hisui seemed to think he had. But I wasn't about to say that to the kid. At least _one_ of us needed to keep their optimism. "I'm sure if anyone can convince Yukimura to do anything, it's Kyo," I said, because it's easier to speak words of meaningless assurance than to lie to someone like Hisui.

"Hm," Migeira agreed noncommittally, obviously sharing my sentiments.

Hisui poured me some tea from a pot that had escaped my notice. I took the ginger-scented steaming brew gratefully and sipped it, the bitter-mellow taste waking me up and making the queasiness subside.

"Migeira-san, about what happened last night..." Even if Kyo wasn't here to put in his two mon, I could at least get Migeira's opinion of everything. "Why would anyone threaten Yukimura-san with siege cannon?"

"Because they were foolish, as Yukimura said. And the threat wasn't meant for him, really; it was directed at Toyotomi Hideyori," Migeira said gravely.

I drank a bit too quickly and burnt my tongue. Coughing slightly, I put my tea cup down stared at him. "But why? Threatening the heir of Toyotomi Hideyoshi is treason!" Even though Tokugawa Ieyasu had received the title of shogun from the Emperor, he and his entire clan were still bound by oath to protect Toyotomi Hideyori, who was to succeed his dead father as kampaku, Regent of the Emperor, when he was of age.

"And who would prove such treason, Yuya-san?" Migeira asked, shaking his head, "We have Yukimura's word, and the words of witnesses who are loyal to the Tokugawa. Given Yukimura's state of exile, if he were to level a charge against an agent of the Tokugawa and thus the shogun himself, he would easily open himself up to counter-charges and even give his enemies an excuse to eliminate him with imperial consent. And as I said, the threat was _meant_ for Hideyori; it is quite unlikely that the taiko's heir was threatened directly."

I frowned. "So what do you think Yukimura-san will do about it?"

"I'm fairly certain he will at least inform the Toyotomi of the matter," said Migeira, "but beyond that, he has very limited options."

"And the siege cannon?" I pressed, "If they're meant for Toyotomi Hideyori, that means an attack on Osaka castle. And that's a pretty obvious act of treason, don't you think? It seems rather stupid to have them at all."

"Tokugawa-dono can claim that he procured them for Toyotomi-dono's protection, as is his duty," Hisui said. I had almost forgotten he was there. "He cannot simply eliminate Toyotomi-dono, because Sanada-dono and other clans and even daimyo who support the Toyotomi claim are too powerful, and would immediately rise up against him.

"The surest way to purge Japan of all opposition to the Tokugawa is to accuse the Toyotomi and their supporters of treason against the Emperor. Once this is accomplished, the shogun, as grand master general and the Emperor's defender, can eliminate his enemies on the battlefield, because anyone who stood against him would stand against the Emperor. Only those most loyal to the Toyotomi would choose such action, and they would be forced to defend Osaka, the Toyotomi stronghold, against innumerable enemies.

"Even though its walls are thick, gai-jin siege cannon might prove strong enough to pierce them. That is what worries Sanada-dono."

_'I thought Migeira said this kid didn't understand politics,'_ I thought as I regarded Hisui's miserable expression with a sense of wonder, _'Sounds like he actually has a pretty good handle on things!'_ "But all that depends on Tokugawa being able to make a believable charge of treason," I ventured.

"It has been done before, countless times," Migeira said, "But these are all matters of "if;" our present situation is one of "when," which is why me must do everything we can to convince Yukimura to release Sasuke from his duties long enough to help us!"

Hisui nodded, his sadness disappearing like a rain cloud evaporated by the sun as he beamed. "I know he will!" he declared, "Sanada-dono is a good man, who believes whole-heartedly that he must choose the course that is best for Japan. He will most certainly come around!"

_'...and then again, maybe he doesn't have a clue.'_ I stifled the urge to sigh. This was one of the downsides of becoming older and wiser in the ways of the world. You couldn't keep a firm grip on the hope and certainty of childhood if you didn't want to end up disappointed at every turn.

Or worse, wind up dead.

I quietly finished my tea and stood up, vaguely considering plans of tracking down Kyo and Yukimura. Not that I missed Kyo or anything; far from it. I just wanted to know if what happened last night had been a ploy on Yukimura's part or if... _'If what? What can I possibly do to get through to him if I can't even talk with Kyo on a normal basis?'_

"Yuya-dono, Kousuke-dono said that we have been granted free reign of her lord's herb garden, should we be so inclined," Hisui mentioned hesitantly, "Also, there is a room that has been set aside for the preparation of medicines at the main house if you wish to use it."

"Really?" I asked in surprise. _'How thoughtful of Yukimura!__ Hm, do I want to track down Kyo-the-Uncommunicative and Yukimura-the-Sly and try to beat some sense into/out of them or do I want to do something that will actually have positive results?'_ "Hisui, how do you feel about a hands-on lesson in herbal medicine?"

You would have thought I offered to take the kid to New Years in Kyoto. "If it is not an imposition upon you, Yuya-dono..." he said, trying to sound politely casual, but unlike his uncle, the kid had no ability to mask his emotions.

"I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't being sincere," I replied with a laugh. Hisui jumped up immediately and ran to grab the book I loaned him out of his room.

"Would you like to accompany us, oji-sama?" he asked Migeira even as he was already half-way out the door, heading for the garden.

Migeira shook his head. "I shall decline," he said, then looked at me, "I will spend the day at the temple if you have need of me."

The message was clear. _'If there's good news, come get me. If there's bad news or demons attack, come get me.'_

I bowed. "Enjoy your meditation," I said as I followed Hisui outside.

We spent several hours in the garden, and I'll admit, I think I got more out of it than Hisui. My training with Taka-sensei had been long, detailed, and arduous, but hardly comprehensive, not with the small amount of time I had been allowed with her. Even so, I got a warm fuzzy feeling just watching Hisui as he hung onto my every word as I explained the uses of every plant, their preparations and care, and the times and seasons of their growing and harvest. Was this how Taka-sensei felt, opening my eyes to new wonders and possibilities?

Her words from one of her last months alive came back to me as Hisui carefully opened the waxy petals of dragon's blood to see the flower's heart:

_"Ah, to be a teacher – that is to hold the highest honor and carry greatest burden, to find indescribable joy and have your heart broken by the most devastating disappointment..."_

I remembered more: Kyo had just returned after disappearing for nearly a month. He had been silent and brooding a whole week leading up to his departure, and he was barely any more communicative upon his return.

As always, he never thought to tell me what had made him leave like that. Or return, for that matter...

_"That sounds a bit like love, if you ask me," I replied jokingly, carefully handing her a teacup brimming with a pain-killing tincture of opium poppy._

_Taka-sensei looked at me, her obsidian eyes as sharp as ever despite the pain I could see in them. "Of course it's love!" she snapped, "Anything worth anything in this world has a price of pain and suffering attached to it! I would have thought you had learned that lesson thoroughly by now."_

_I bowed my head. "But what if I'm not strong enough?" I asked._

_Her fingers, gnarled by arthritis and callused by decades of toil, gently raised my chin. "You are very strong, Yu-chan," she said, her gaze meeting mine, "I have never stated it quite so plainly before, but only because I thought I had the time to help you to see it for yourself. You are stronger than you know. Why else do you think that great idiot you insist on loving clings to you like you are life itself?"_

_"How can you say that!" I protested, "He's so cold sometimes and I don't know what he's thinking or if I'll ever reach him! He's left me and..."_

_"... he has always returned, ne, Yu-chan?" she interrupted, quietly but firmly, "You chose a dark and thorny path when you chose a life at his side, but I don't pity you. You are strong, but even more important, you are not alone. And you know that."_

_"But he...!"_

_"Why things are the way they are, why he leaves but always returns, why he suffers in solitude and dark silence while you weep alone in the light..." she continued gravely, "why you will always be drawn together no matter the distance... it will all become clear, but only if you have the courage to stay with him."_

_"Courage..." I repeated._

It had been one of our last lessons and perhaps the one I struggled most to understand. _'How could she have been so certain?'_ I wondered, as I often had before. And strangest of all, I had been so utterly reassured at the same time. Even now, repeating that word, _"courage,"_ made me feel lighter, as if the weight of the world wasn't hanging over my head and pressing me into the earth.

Hisui yawned just then, a nearly face-splitting yawn that he tried to smother with dirt-encrusted hands. "Ah, I apologize, Yuya-dono!" he exclaimed as soon as he could speak, "I am afraid that I spent too long on my star charts last night. It will not happen again!"

I had to laugh. "If you're tired, Hisui-kun, you should have told me," I said gently, "Besides, it's starting to get too warm out here. How about we go back to the house so you can rest a bit? We can go take a look at Yukimura's apothecary later, if you like."

Hisui had a bit of struggle between relief and guilt (over what I couldn't even begin to guess!), but finally he nodded in agreement. "As you wish, Yuya-dono."

We had culled back the hemlock (very carefully!) and dug a few angelica roots that had more or less ripened. I wanted to talk to Yukimura himself before I took full liberty of his garden, but this small harvest was enough to start some of the medicinal preparations I had in mind.

The hearth was cold when we entered the house from the back porch after washing our hands in the well water. Someone (Kousuke or Saizo, perhaps?) had come through and shut the shoji in all the rooms and left cold smoked fish in a small wooden box beside the pot of left-over rice. I was pretty hungry from skipping breakfast earlier and dug in almost immediately; Hisui declined and went into his and Migeira's room. I checked on him about five minutes later and found him sprawled face-down on a half-folded futon, dead to the world.

_'Star charts must be more exhausting than I thought,'_ I remarked to myself as I closed the shoji, _'I wonder why a kid who can see the future needs to bother with astrology, though.'_

I cleaned up what little mess I had made. There was still plenty of food left for Hisui when he woke up and Migeira and Kyo, if and when they decided to come back. Maybe I had time to get some sake from Kousuke, since Kyo would almost certainly demand that with his lunch...

_'Dammit, why is that even when I'm mad at him, I can't but think about him?'_ I thought irritably, practically yanking the shoji out of its runners as I stepped into our room, _'If there was a way to just make all thoughts of him vanish so I could have some peace for one hour, I...'_

The sight that greeted my eyes sent my inner tirade into a screeching halt. "Kyo... why are you bleeding?"

-------------------------------

"... Kuso, woman, you don't have to tie that bandage so tight!" Kyo growled at me.

I glared at him and gave the bandage a spiteful jerk. "Quite complaining!" I hissed, "You're the one who went out Kami-sama knows when and got himself all cut up, not to mention the fact you have yet to give me a straight answer as to how you ended up like this or why I found you rummaging through my medicine chest like a sneak thief!"

"I told you, ask Yukimura if you're so hot and bothered about it and leave me alone!" he snapped right back, "I didn't ask you to bandage me up!"

"No, you didn't, but you were doing such a half-assed job of it that Taka-sensei would have rolled in her grave if I had left you alone!" was my waspish retort, "So be quiet! I'll go see Yukimura-san when I'm good and ready and not because you told me to!"

So long as I was spun up in righteous indignation, I could ignore the way my heart seemed to freeze in my chest the moment I had seen the blood stains soaking into the tatami, courtesy of the rather nasty gash across Kyo's chest. What had possessed him to go out without his armor when he knew that blood-thirsty, power-crazed demons were lurking about is beyond me.

Worse than the anger and frustration, though, was the fear. _'How close was I to losing him for good this time?'_

I tied off the bandage around his chest; thankfully, the wound hadn't been deep enough to require stitches this time around. "Are you hurt anywhere else?" I asked in clipped tones, purposefully concentrating on the medical supplies I had pulled out to treat him.

"Hnph."

"Is that a "yes" or a "no," Onime no Kyo?"

"No. Nothing you need to worry about."

I clenched my hand into a fist and had forcefully tell myself not to hit him, because that would be plain idiotic when I was trying to heal him. "Fine." I took up the bag of cattail pollen I had collected on the road. "If you don't need my help anymore..." I got to my feet and retrieved the hemlock and angelica from the main room. "I'm going to see Yukimura-san now," I tossed over my shoulder. I didn't wait to hear his reply, because I knew he wouldn't bother.

--------------------------------

"Ah, Yuya-san, I was expecting you!" Yukimura hailed as soon as I emerged from the bamboo "wall" separating the guesthouse from the main one, "Come and share some of my sake."

One look at him, and suddenly Kyo's cryptic comments made sense. I glared at Yukimura witheringly, crossing my arms over my chest.

Yukimura blinked quizzically. "Why, whatever is the matter, Yuya-san?" he asked, all innocence.

"Sanada Yukimura-san…" I began in a very low voice because it's rude to yell at your host, "Why in the _hell_ were you and Kyo out cutting each other to ribbons when demons are tear-assing around Japan!"

"But we weren't," Yukimura said, pointing to his bandaged torso, "Kyo-san only managed to catch me with the bare edge of the _tachi-kaze_ from his Suzaku, so I got away with some mild burns and a small gash that Saizo treated. A friendly duel, nothing more… Are you certain you do not wish to sit down Yuya-san? The sun seems to be affecting you."

_'Oh, I'll affect you, you smug, cat-faced sneak!'_ I thought viciously, wishing there was a way to make people spontaneously combust just by glaring at them. The nerve of those two! Stupid idiotic males, what were they thinking, having a potentially lethal duel without regard to what was going on in the real world? Stupid, stupid, stupid, _STUPID!_ No matter how Yukimura tried to laugh it off, I could plainly see that he and Kyo had gone at it for real. In addition to the bandage swathed around his chest, Yukimura was sporting sizable burns all up and down the left side of his body where his loose blue yukata didn't cover him. _'If that's his idea of a "friendly duel"...'_

"Thank you for the offer, but I'll decline the sake," I said very calmly and politely as I sat next to him. It took all my will power not to reach out and wring his neck.

Yukimura shrugged affably. "More for me, then," he replied cheerfully. His manner was really beginning to grate on my nerves, because I knew it was an act.

"…nice today, isn't it?"

I started, then realized that Yukimura had been talking to me. "Er, yes, it has been," I said. _'Oh for Kami's sake, what are you doing chatting about weather?'_ "Yukimura-san, you really shouldn't be…"

"Though it's a trifle warmer this year than last," Yukimura continued without skipping a beat, "The best season here is certainly mid-spring."

"I'm sure it is, but you and Kyo shouldn't have…"

"Of course, if you stayed here, perhaps you would find autumn more to your liking. I would be honored if you would."

"I don't know, but…" I paused, realizing I must not have heard him right. "Yukimura-san, what did you just say?"

Yukimura leaned back on his hands and sighed, looking up into the eaves of the overhanging roof. "How about it, Yuya-san? I think you would like it here very much: it is quite peaceful… when I'm not being harassed by Tokugawa minions, at least. And I have heard of your interest in herbal medicine and being a healer; surely you would see to it that my garden is put to good use once again."

Gaping at him seemed to be the only appropriate response. I wanted to pinch myself, wondering if I was experiencing a hallucination brought on by sun stroke. "You can't be serious," I said abruptly, certain that it all had to be a lame attempt at a joke.

"When I want to be, I can be quite serious, Yuya-san," he replied lightly, but without a smile.

"B-but… _why?_ Why would you even think that I would ever take you up on such an offer…?" I sputtered, abandoning all sense of tact in my utter shock.

He took it in stride, though. "Is it really so terrible a thought, staying here with me?" he asked, pleasantly enough, but it only served to make me angry.

"I have no reason to stay here, Yukimura-san. When Kyo leaves, even if he chooses not to help Hisui-kun, I will leave with him.

"Unless you're also thinking of asking Kyo to stay," I added as an almost sarcastic aside.

Yukimura shook his head. "My invitation is for you and you alone, Yuya-san." He held up his hand as I began to protest. "For your safety… and Kyo-san's peace of mind."

I loathed the way he seemed to be pulling the proverbial tatami out from under me with almost every other sentence, but his last remark was so cutting I couldn't scrape together the wherewithal to interrupt him.

"Kyo-san told me this morning that he intends to accompany Hisui-kun, if only for the battles he sees ahead. I believe he also understands that it is a battle he cannot avoid, not if he wants to protect you." Yukimura didn't even seem to be speaking to me anymore, as if he was merely thinking aloud. "He will be driven by two desires, Yuya-san: the desire to fight as a warrior and defeat anyone who gets in his way and the desire to protect one person above all others. And there is a chance that those two desires may clash... to his ruin."

"So you're saying that I would just get in the way if I went with Kyo?" I asked after a long moment of silence. I was angry, but at the same time, Yukimura had touched on something that I had tried to not think about, even before that night in Tokubo: when it came down to it, how much did Kyo really need me? He lived by the edge of his blade, and if he had his attention divided between defeating his enemy and protecting me…

_'Am I insisting that I have to go with him because I think I can help him, or is it just my pride?'_ Maybe it was both at the same time. But more importantly, the very thought of letting Kyo go and risk never seeing him again made me feel as though someone had reached into me chest and was trying to wrench my heart from my body. I was scared for him, scared as I had never been before because I had been given a glimpse of the enemy and the price if Kyo failed. And I wanted to be there for him, be strong for him, but if Yukimura was right...

"Yuya-san?"

"I want to be with him," I said, my voice hardly more than a whisper because I was trying so hard not to cry, "More than anything else, I want to be there beside him, no matter the danger. I could stand it, then, the fear and the danger. If he left me behind, I..." _"Courage" _Taka-sensei had said. Reining in my emotions, I looked directly at Yukimura. "I can't do anything else, Yukimura-san," I declared fiercely, "This time, I can't accept simply waiting."

Yukimura appraised me silently with half-closed eyes and an air of dispassionate scrutiny. I held his gaze, as if simply by not looking away, I could convince him that he had been completely wrong about me. "I see," he said at last, "Very good, Yuya-san." He didn't sound pleased or displeased, nor even surprised. It irritated the hell out of me at how well he could conceal his thoughts and emotions so easily. "Would you still be so adamant if Kyo-san had suggested that you stay here instead of me?"

"Did he?" I asked, feeling a pang in my chest as my conviction seemed to evaporate like steam.

"No, as a matter of fact, he didn't," said Yukimura, once again all smiles and cheerfulness, "Truth be told, right after I suggested the arrangement to him, he decided to use his Suzaku. A simple "no" would have sufficed, but at least I got a chance to test myself against it." He got to his feet and held out his hand to me. "Now, I gather from the plants you brought with you that you would like to make use of my apothecary. Shall we?"

I wanted to do several things all at once right then: laugh out loud, cry my heart out, kill Yukimura or kiss him, and run back to Kyo and pillow him in ways that probably wouldn't help his wounds. "Thank you, Yukimura-san," I said simply, picking up my herbs and taking his hand.

---------------

The moon was already rising by the time I ventured back to the guest-house. A cooling breeze shushed through the bamboo and flickered through my dampened hair, wreathing me with the scent of mountain pine. I paused, letting the wind sigh over me as I contemplated the waning silver-white profile.

Once I had gotten to work in the apothecary, amid the surprisingly extensive array of herbs and medicinal plants, I was able to focus all my roiling emotions into the familiar tasks of measuring, grinding, and mixing medicines. Preparation for one of the most effective wound-treating ointments would take another day at least, but I had enough material on hand to get it well under way.

Yukimura stayed with me long enough to observe the first stages. I used the opportunity to ask him about last night, if he really meant everything he said about Benitora and Tokugawa ambitions.

"Don't believe for a minute that I meant any disrespect to our erstwhile companion," he had replied with a disarming grin, "I merely pointed out that the facts, that gai-jin cannon have been procured, that Tokugawa riflemen are being trained by a gai-jin captain, and there have been increased contacts between the Tokugawa and gai-jin tradesmen, all point to one conclusion."

"And if the Tokugawa move against the Toyotomi?"

"I will do my duty," Yukimura stated simply. He half-turned his head, looking at the elaborate storage chest that took up nearly half the room. "But then, it might be wiser not to wait for the Tokugawa to make their move."

"Yukimura-san, what do you mean by that?" My nausea from earlier in the day returned full force at the thought of what Yukimura could be planning.

"If you will excuse me, Yuya-san," Yukimura said, standing up and bowing slightly to me, "My brother and Mahiro-san will be expecting me to see them off. Given our dismal display last evening, it would be rude of me not to be there. Nii-san might think I'm holding a grudge."

"One last thing," he said as he paused in the doorway, "Sasuke will be coming with you to help out in Hisui-kun's little quest. Kyo-san convinced me that it might be worth his time."

"Oh… thank you, Yukimura-san," I said. I know I should have been relieved, ecstatic even, but something about the way he said it made me wonder…

_'I don't know who gives me a worse headache, Yukimura or Kyo,'_ I thought grimly, shaking my head and tightening my grip on my bundle of fresh laundry. Kousuke had sme use the main house's bathing facilities after I had finished in the apothecary, and loaned me a new yukata so I wouldn't have to send for anything from the guest house. Having the more mundane details of daily living taken care of unfortunately meant I had all the more time to spare to agonize over things like Kyo's reticence, Yukimura's ruses, and (let's not forget) the dark fate hanging over Japan. _'It's not like I can make things any better just by worrying about them!'_ I scolded myself, but I still couldn't help it.

"You got lost or something, nee-chan?"

I jumped at the question that seemed to come out of thin air, and then immediately realized it was only Sasuke. He had obviously just come from the guest house and was looking at me with a bored expression, though I could have sworn I saw amusement there at having startled me.

"Sasuke-kun! It's been a long time, hasn't it?" Given the circumstances, I was more happy to see him than ticked that he had gotten the jump on me yet again.

"Hn." He held his arms behind his head, his gaze not wavering from me for an instant. "I've been talking to Kyo and the other two," he mentioned, "I'd say that kid was crazy if wasn't for what I've seen myself."

"So, you've run into some of the demons in Osaka?" I asked. _'They really are attacking everywhere. How many of those things have been set loose?'_

"Near there," he replied, not bothering to elaborate, "Those things put up as much fight as some of the lesser Jyuunishinshou when they're cornered." He grinned, and it wasn't a nice grin. "I'm really looking forward to this little quest you've put together. I figure whoever's pulling the strings has to be more entertaining."

He _would_ put it that way, and I have no doubt that that was pretty much how Kyo thought. "I'm glad you're coming with us," I said truthfully.

He shrugged. "Migeira says I'm supposed to help save Japan. Makes no difference to me, seeing as I've been nothing more than a glorified messenger boy since Nobunaga and the Mibu have vanished off the face of the earth."

"So, even if you're helping the Tokugawa in the end…?" I couldn't help asking.

"If that's the spin you want to put on it, suit yourself, nee-chan," Sasuke said neutrally. As he turned to leave, I noticed that he had replaced the dai-katana he had lost in Mibu country. "We'll be leaving in two days to pick up the other two. I hope you don't get seasick easy. Good night."

_'Seasick?'_ I thought, staring after him. Sounded like something Migeira would have to explain, since Sasuke wasn't one to provide information freely. "Good night," I called after him and began weaving my way through the bamboo back to the guesthouse.

"Yuya-dono!" Hisui called from the porch as I approached, "Wonderful news! Sarutobi Sasuke-dono has agreed to help us after all!"

"Yes, that is good news," I replied with a smile, stepping up beside him, "I guess you were right about Yukimura-san."

Hisui nodded cheerfully, beaming for all he was worth. "I do believe Kyo-dono had something to with it, though he has been less than forthcoming."

"That shouldn't come as a surprise," I said, more to myself than to Hisui as he opened the shoji for me.

"Yukimura couldn't have been that much interested in blabbing. You certainly took your time," Kyo remarked, seated at the far side of the fire pit with a jug of sake on hand and the remains of dinner spread out in front of him.

"I don't think Yukimura-san's ever been wounded seriously enough to cramp his glibness," I replied, "Although I did spend most of my time in the apothecary."

"Yes, we will certainly be in need of medicines on the journey," Migeira said almost jovially, "I commend your forethought, Yuya-san." He obviously was in a better mood than this morning, and doubtless Sasuke's visit earlier had much to do with it.

"Are you hungry, Yuya-dono?" Hisui asked, practically bouncing with ill-concealed glee. I suppose he had been more anxious than even he had let on. He knelt beside his uncle and picked up the remaining empty rice bowl.

"Thank you, no," I said, "I'm a little tired, so I think I'll just turn in for the night." My questions for Migeira could wait until tomorrow.

"Ah, sumimasen, Yuya-dono!" Hisui exclaimed, "If I had been there to help you, perhaps…"

"No, it's all right Hisui-kun. You can help me tomorrow. Good night, everyone."

"Good night," Migeira and Hisui chorused after me.

I didn't bother to light a lamp; the combined moon and firelight through the shoji was enough to cast everything into grey twilight, so I could put away my clothes and spread out the futon without difficulty. That done, I retrieved my comb and began working out the tangles in my hair. Hisui and Migeira's voices, pitched low out of politeness, filtered through the rice paper. I wondered how much longer I would have to wait…

Some time, as it turned out. The comb wasn't catching a single knot and my hair was bone-dry by the time the fire in the other room was banked, its red-orange glow fading as Hisui and Migeira retired to their own room. I bit my lip, fiddling nervously with the comb as I kept my eyes on the shoji. Would he come, or wouldn't he? Might he decide it wouldn't even be worth the effort of moving from his place?

I had begun to debate whether I should just go back out there when the shoji slid to, and he entered like a silent shadow.

I bowed my head, relief flooding through me.

Kyo didn't bother to approach, merely standing in the doorway for quite a while. I could feel his eyes on me, so I began moving the comb through my hair again. He said nothing, other than making a sound that might have been a sigh (or a grunt of annoyance). Only then did I look up at him, my hands stilling and drifting into my lap. His dark outline stood out from the lighter shadows, but I could not see his face, though he surely could see mine. Neither smiling or frowning, I waited for him… to speak, to move toward me, I'm not really sure which.

Abruptly, he moved from the shoji and sat down in the same spot he had fallen asleep the night before, his back to the wall, his katana propped up against his shoulder. A stray moonbeam glinted garnet as it caught his eyes, staring into mine.

It was up to me, I realized. Placing the comb aside, I got to my feet and walked over to him.

Kyo didn't look up as I stood over him, my arms folded across my chest. "You could have just said 'no'," I said quietly, after a moment.

"Hn."

"You could have killed him."

"Hn."

"Kyo?"

"Hn?"

I reached down, sliding ever-so-carefully into his lap, mindful of his wounds. "You're an idiot," I told him frankly as I straddled his waist and regarded him with a stern Look.

His expression went from surprised to irritated, and then to surprised again as I kissed him, mumbling, "But I love you just the same."

Neither of us slept in the futon that night.

------------------------------

**Music for this Chapter:**

Boccherini's _String Quintet in E (Minuet)_

Vaugh Williams' _Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis_

-----------------------------

**Dictionary:**

_Kunoichi__ - _female ninja

_Roshi__ - _the head monk of a Buddhist temple, responsible for teaching younger monks and guiding them toward Enlightenment

_Toyotomi__ Hideyoshi _and _Toyotomi__ Hideyori - _Hideyoshi (1536-1598) is perhaps one of the most colorful and important characters to emerge from the Sengoku Jidai. Born a peasant, he became one of Oda Nobunaga's lieutenants through personal courage, martial skill, and strategic brilliance. After Nobunaga's assassination, Hideyoshi assumed control, and turned toward making peace for the war-forged unified nation Nobunaga left behind. Because he was not born a samurai, Hideyoshi could not claim the title of "shogun," and so he was granted the title of _taiko_ in 1590 (also _kampaku_, Imperial Regent and essentially the Emperor's protector and overseer). He formalized the Japanese feudal system, essentially dividing the classes into rigid castes and making the samurai class the supreme governmental unit. He also sought to expand the Japanese empire, invading Korea (in 1592 and 1597) with ambitions toward Manchuria and perhaps even the whole of China. None of his campaigns were successful and after his death, Japanese forces were withdrawn from the continent. As mentioned in the story, Hideyoshi wanted his son, _Toyotomi__ Hideyori_ to succeed him, and entrusted his care to his greatest enemy and ally, Tokugawa Ieyasu. Historically, once Hideyori came of age and challenged Tokugawa for the shogunate in 1613, Tokugawa refused, and in 1614, defeated the last Toyotomi supporters in the second siege of Osaka castle.

But as we know from the anime, one element of history was changed…

_Gai-jin__ - _"foreigner" or more literally, "barbarian" (the Japanese did not have high opinions of those who were not Japanese!). In this story, I'm perhaps placing a little too much emphasis on contacts between the various factions in Japan and foreign elements, but it is historically accurate that Westerners engaged in trade with Japan and thus exposed the Japanese to new forms of warfare and different ideas from around the world. The Portuguese had been granted a virtual monopoly over China-Japan trade, but by the Battle of Sekigahara, the Dutch and the British were making attempts to gain their own piece of the action.

To get a good idea of how Westerners had gained a marked foothold in Japan in the 15th and 16th centuries, I recommend reading James Clavell's **_Shogun_**, a fictionalized account of a shipwrecked English pilot in Sengoku Japan, based on the historic experiences of William Adams.

Additional Sources:WashintonState University website I'd give you theurl, but isn't loadingwebpage addresses

* * *

**To My Reviewers**: Please be patient with me, I beg of you! (sobs)

**Luna-magi-2005: **Shhh, yes I know it's wonderful, but not everyone's caught on yet. And that person who e-mailed you on a review – I think that's just a case of someone taking themselves too seriously!

**Ginny-cry:** Actually, that would be an interesting cross-over. Hmm, I'll have to think about it! (btw: Battousai/Kenshin would kick Kyo's butt. No questions, even though I'm probably going to get flamed for that). And I'll also see about fulfilling your other request… this _is_ a romance fic after all!

**Genjy0-Sanz0: **And it wasn't much of a stretch, either. I had fun writing Hisui's reaction to it.

**Kitsune55: **I would like to do just that, but I suppose the experience is limited by how Yuya perceives things. She works from her experiences, and has a hard time seeing from Kyo's point of view (perhaps she'll learn how to do that better). I think Kyo's biggest problem is that he's afraid of being more open, because when you're open, you're vulnerable. He's been living his whole life that way, and even Yuya can only slowly make him see that it's all right to let people in. Don't worry, Kyo's going to do some major growing up – if not in this installment, than definitely in part two of the trilogy (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)

**LadyWater2010: **How fortunate for me that I have masochistic tendencies! I'm growing, I'm growing, I'm growing… (starts chanting)

**Mimi-san: **I'm glad you're enjoying the historic references. I'm beginning to think I'm going overboard on them though…

**Vegita-dias** Thank you vegita-dias-sama, for being so understanding! (bawls and glomps vegita-dias). Your praise makes me so happy, because if someone of your caliber thinks this story is worth reading, it's definitely worth the time I put in to write it! (And as for your deduction… I'm going to have fun pursuing that line, don't you worry…)

**Natty1066: **Thanks! I did manage to graduate on time, but I'll have less of it to devote to fanfiction. (Boo) And I'm so happy you thought I did well with Yukimura in the last chapter. What do you think of him in this one?

**Triste1:** Well, you gotta figure anyone who can teach Yuya as much as she did in three years has to be pretty remarkable. I'm thinking of writing a side-story, just to tell how they met Taka-sensei. And we can replay the whole scene where Taka-sensei bruises Kyo's shins with her walking stick…

**Froz**** Flame: **Shoot, I thought I was being subtle… well, you can be sure more than a few of the _characters_ are going to be surprised. And stick with your writing; as LadyWater-san says, it is a challenge we grow stronger for overcoming!

**Nekozuki1776: **And the really funny part is, Yuya only has a vague inkling that Kyo's jealous! I don't know if you were surprised by who the "houseguests" happened to be - what was your guess? And keeping Yuya's secret is only half the fun…

**animegrl1047: **(sweatdrop) Insomnia's a wonderful thing when put to good use, isn't it? Though I think I've been spending too much time on fanart and not enough on fanfiction, to judge from the reviews of late. And Benitora's in Edo, where he belongs, though I'm wondering if I ought to have him pop up after all… And Saitou's still Kanashimi's (unwilling) pet. Don't expect that to change anytime soon!

**Arin**** Ross/Arain Rowan/Anee: **Yes, I'm still alive, though just barely… I'm sorry to have made you wait so long, but life in general and writer's block in particular has been a real bitch. And here's a cookie for Anee-chan for her deduction! (pats Anee-chan on the head). I'm hoping you picked up on it because you were reading into the story, and not because I made it obvious… and yes, there's going to be a _whole_ lotta fun with that plot point! Prickly pear cactus? (sweatdrop) That sounds painful. You should just stick with duct tape like Kanashimi does. Oh lookit the butterfly! (has Hotaru moment) Thank you for the wonderful review, it had me in stitches, and good luck on your own story!

**Alyson Metallium: **Meh, I'm a manga snob myself, but when the idea for this story sprouted in my head, I had only seen the anime and read maybe three volumes of manga (no way I could be manga-accurate with that info!) If I could start over from the beginning, I would, but that would mean this entire story lost… and I'm so poor a writer I can't do that! The various plot points are having a field day in my head, and it's murder trying to get them in order. I wanted to spend more time on Yukimura in this chapter, since he's such a great character and I honestly don't know if he'll be showing up again until part three of the trilogy. Or something… yeah…

Ahem! So, I hope you liked this latest chapter, though I know it is nowhere near good enough to make up for the delay. I'm going to work hard on the next chapter… ASAP, I _promise!_

(sneaks Akira away from Alyson)

**Starian**** Princess: **And the Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything is 42. (nods sagely) Thank you for your comforting words – it's awesome know that I have a fan like you cheering me on!

**Chibi**** Tenshi: **You went back and reviewed every single chapter? (blushes) Wow, I'm… stunned. Flattered and stunned. Especially since you're such an excellent writer yourself. The anime was definitely a travesty – this fic began as something of a way for me to make up for it in my mind (stupid feggin' ten-year-gap!). And I know it's kind of unbelievable that Yuya can become a healer in three years, but if you recall in the anime and the manga, she seemed to be doing a pretty decent job of tending to people already. I guess the real test of healing is taking on real world problems, and if you have experience, it becomes second nature. Taka-sensei built on Yuya's established foundation and honed her skills, so that she could do more. Also, Yuya's constantly learning as she travels with Kyo, don't forget that! As for the Kyo-Hisui-Yuya triangle… yep, that's going to lead to some fireworks down the road. I'm so glad people are taking a liking to Hisui-kun and thinking he is a believable character. One thing I think even the manga lacks is a proper foil for Kyo, someone who is his opposite in attitude and motivations, while sharing the same goal (I suppose Muramasa would have been a candidate for that slot, if he hadn't died…).

Kyo _can _be "scarily perceptive" but he can also be remarkably dense. I'll let you decide what that's going to mean in later chapters… but can you imagine Kyo and Yuya going to a temple to actually get married? If he didn't scare off the priests, he'd certainly have a hard time limiting himself to three choko of sake!

Thank you so much for your voluminous reviews, and I hope this latest installment lived up to your expectations. Salute!

One question, though: What is _Shinshi__ Doumei Cross?_

**Ella: **I love Akira, too! (huggles Akira, and then throws him into a Plot Hole before he can ice her). I do wish I could write this story in respect to the manga, especially since Bontenmaru is such a cuddly teddy-bear and Akari kicks ass, but that would mean going back and rewriting a whole lot of stuff. Also, I haven't read near enough of the manga to be anywhere close to accurate!

I do hope you will continue to read and enjoy regardless…

**Previously-recorded: **So you have requested, so it shall be! (winks) How do you like Yukimura in this? I hope he didn't turn out _too_ dark, but he's helping set the tone for the rest of the story. As for the great Kyo/Kyoshiro debate… I think that last shot in the anime was done just so that it was anyone's guess as to who won. For myself, I believe Kyoshiro was ready to die, and in fact wanted to, to make up for all the things he had done wrong (i.e., betray Kyo, resurrect Nobunaga, kill Yuya's brother). Kyo, on the other hand, had every reason to live: he had solved the mystery of his origins, he had defeated his life-long enemy (besides Kyoshiro), and there was Yuya to consider. I suppose it all depends on your reading of the characters as to the conclusion you reach.

**Kate **and **Ayi**Ah, gomen nasai for being derelict in my duties! I apologize to all of my readers and to all of and everyone in the whole world for being so lazy and irresponsible! (prostrates herself) GOMEN NASAAAAAAIIII! I AM ASHAMED THAT I HAVE INFLICTED SUFFERING ON FELLOW FANFICTION READERS THROUGH MY INADEQUACY, I'M SORRY! GOMEN NAS_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII_**…!**

**wham** A black iron skillet whacks Narrator on the head, cutting short her histrionics.

**Kanashimi**We've had enough of that, thank you!

**Narrator: **(swirly eyes) Orooooo…

**Kanashimi**(sigh) C'est lavie!

Salute!


	7. Pastorale

Narrator here. Okay, before this chapter begins, I have something to say to all of my loyal readers:

(gets down on the floor) **_I'M SO SORRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYY! PLEASE FORGIVE THIS UNWORTHY ONE FOR HER LAZINESS AND HER WRITER'S BLOCK AND HER CRAPPY INABILITY TO MAKE THIS THE BEST CHAPTER YOU'VE EVER READ AND FOR MAKING YOU PUT UP WITH ME FOR SO LONG!_**

Seriously, ya'll, thanks so much for your patience - I've gotten more than a few prods to keep going with this fic, and I'm terribly sorry for not having gotten this out sooner. Truth be told, I wrote myself into a corner, and my creatice writing skills just plain up and died. (cringes) Yes, I'm aware that's a crappy excuse, and I will try my darndest to make it up to you. (puppy dog eyes

**

* * *

**_**  
Intermezzo**_

_Chapter 6: Pastorale_

"Hyuuga?"

"Or possibly even somewhere in Higo."

I shook my head in disbelief. "Not to be rude or anything," I said, "but are you sure that information's accurate?"

"As sure as I am of anything," Yukimura with a placid smile.

_'There's a ringing endorsement,'_ I thought sourly, not appreciating Yukimura's nonchalance. "But why? Why would Akira-san and Hotaru-san go all the way out to Kyuushuu at all?" I wondered.

"They were in Hokkaido last year, so why shouldn't they head south for a bit?" Sasuke asked impatiently, "For all we know or care, they're making a tour of Japan."

Yukimura and Sasuke had come by after breakfast in order to lay out the details of the next leg of our journey. Apparently, I had been the only one who had no clue as to Akira and Hotaru's present whereabouts; Yukimura had kept tabs on everyone once we parted from Mibu country (and shared his information with Kyo right off), and Hisui and Migeira of course had Hisui's vision.

"Perhaps they wish to head to the continent," Migeira suggested, "With things seemingly calm here in Japan, the wars between the Ming and the tribes of Manchuria might prove interesting for two warriors with no ties to anything here."

I found that highly unlikely, but kept it to myself.

"Maybe they will attempt to succeed where Toyotomi-sama failed?" Yukimura quipped.

The scathing look Migeira sent Yukimura and Yukimura's annoyingly sunny grin in reply gave me the strongest urge to giggle, so I hid my face with my steaming teacup and pretended to be extremely occupied with my ginger-tea.

"But wouldn't they need an army for that?" Hisui asked in all seriousness, blissfully oblivious to the byplay yet again. "And besides, they'd have to conquer Korea first."

"Hurrrrrr…" Sasuke made a low growling noise in his throat as he glared at Hisui, as though it was all his fault that the conversation had drifted off-topic. It wasn't very fair, but then I doubt Sasuke would ever fault Yukimura for being himself in front of the present company.

I got my first inkling that the newest member of our group had taken to Hisui like oil to water.

With a sigh, I leaned ever-so-casually against Kyo's arm. He glanced down at me out of the corner of his eye, his stoic mask of a face unflickering.

I sighed again, very softly, so he'd be the only one to hear. Batting my eyes would have been pushing it.

Kyo made an irritated "harrumph"-ing noise.

I sipped my tea and turned my attention back to the others.

"When and where are we supposed to meet up with this boat of yours, Yukimura?" Kyo asked.

All other conversation came to a screeching halt as everyone looked at him. I think Yukimura was as surprised as anyone that Kyo had finally started to contribute to the discussion.

"Four days from now," he replied smoothly, "Just south of Wakayama."

Kyo raised an eyebrow. "That's a hell of a quick arrangement," he noted, "How did you send for a boat to Kyuushuu in so short a time?"

"I didn't," said Yukimura, shaking his head, "It was… prearranged."

"Prearranged?" Hisui, Migeira, and I echoed in unison. _'Convenient? I think not!'_

"Why do I feel like all of you are suspecting me of foul play all of a sudden?" Yukimura laughed as if someone had told a reasonably funny joke. He waved his hands. "If you're thinking, 'Did Yukimura-sama let everyone believe that he wasn't going to help unless Kyo-san fought him, when he really was all for it from the beginning,' you're giving me too much credit! Even I can change my mind if the argument is convincing enough."

Oddly enough, I had begun to suspect Yukimura of just that; it seemed rather too easy that Kyo winning the duel with his Suzaku had made Yukimura's mind up for him. Maybe, just _maybe,_ Yukimura was even more twisted than anyone had given him credit for, and had met us at the teahouse with every intention of helping Hisui, even if it meant helping the Tokugawa down the road.

Then again, as Yukimura himself put it, perhaps I was giving him "too much credit."

My headache was coming back again.

"How, then, was this 'prearrangement' made, and for what purpose?" Migeira asked heavily.

Yukimura shook a finger at him. "That would be telling," he said, "Is it not enough that you have the means to achieve your goal?"

Apparently, Migeira wasn't inclined to think so, but Yukimura had a very good point - chalk good (and bad) fortune up to karma, and leave well enough alone. After scrutinizing Yukimura for several moments, Migeira let the matter drop without further words.

"I thank you for your largesse, Yukimura-dono," Hisui said, smoothly gliding over the ill mood with his customary politeness, "Your aid has proven invaluable and I wish there was only some way that we could repay it."

"I'll keep that in mind," replied Yukimura, clearly amused.

"So, we're done here?" Sasuke demanded, "We leave tomorrow, at sunrise. There's a lot to be done between now and then."

I'm sure it was purely unconscious on our parts, but everyone looked expectantly at Kyo.

"Hn," was his eloquent closing remark.

"Thank you," I whispered in Kyo's ear as Yukimura and Sasuke left. Migeira informed everyone that he was returning to the temple, and followed them.

"Sasuke-kun was right," I said, standing up and straightening my kimono, "Hisui-kun, I'm going to need your help if we're to have enough medicines for the trip."

"As you say, Yuya-dono," Hisui agreed readily, "But should you not have something to eat first?" He indicated my untouched portion of breakfast.

I felt my stomach lurch as I glanced at it and quickly turned away. "No thank you, Hisui-kun," I said, forcibly regaining control of myself (dammit, I'd never experienced altitude sickness this badly!), "I'm not hungry. Let me just get a couple of containers from my chest and we'll go."

"A-All right," Hisui replied with a worried tone.

As I was riffling through my chest, selecting a few empty and near-empty jars for the medicines, I heard Kyo enter the room. "Hisui-kun and I will probably take all day in the apothecary," I said, opening the bottom drawer and taking out a sheaf of notes left by Taka-sensei on how to prepare a wound-cleaning elixir I was still shaky on, "I hope you won't be too bored, left to your own devices." I smiled at him over my shoulder.

The expression on his face startled me. "What's wrong?"

I had assumed he was concerned about something, but as soon as I asked, he became irritated. "How can you possibly want to spend more time with that annoying brat?"

"If you're talking about Hisui-kun," I said, not knowing where his sudden hostility came from, "of course I want to spend more time with him. He's serious about learning about medicines, and he can help me prepare them. It makes sense."

He shrugged, as if I was speaking gibberish. "You're pushing yourself, playing mother to that little brat," he muttered, "Just stay here and don't cause trouble."

My conversation with Yukimura yesterday was too close to my memory for that comment to not sting. "I'm fine, Kyo," I said, more sharply than I meant to, "Don't think that I can't figure out my own limits."

"That's what I mean." Clearly, he wanted to have the last word or nothing at all. "You're so busy keeping that brat entertained, you're not thinking about yourself."

"Well, you obviously seem to think you can take care of that for me, telling me what to do," I said sarcastically, getting angrier by the moment. _'I really thought that there wouldn't be any need to argue anymore, and here he is, acting like he's jealous of Hisui-kun…!'_ I blinked, wondering where that absurd thought had come from. Kyo, jealous, of anyone, let alone a kid like Hisui was so incredibly silly that it… that it… _'… almost makes sense.'_

"What, did you swallow that sharp tongue of yours or something?" Kyo asked with his trademark cruel humor. But there was something else, too…

"Kyo, are you…?"

"Perhaps Kyo-dono should come with us to the apothecary, Yuya-dono?"

Kyo and I both jerked our heads toward the open shoji leading out into the common room (apparently, Kyo had neglected to close it behind him). Hisui stood there, looking somewhat abashed, but he plowed on despite Kyo's withering glare. "Yuya-dono did say that she was concerned that Kyo-dono would have to spend his day without company, and since Kyo-dono is obviously concerned that Yuya-dono has not been feeling well lately, perhaps if he were to…"

Sweeping up Tenro so that it made a sharp rattle in its saya, Kyo got to his feet and threw aside the shoji leading out onto the back porch. "Keep your damn suggestions to yourself, fucking brat," he snarled at Hisui before striding away in the general direction of the temple.

Awkward silence filled the room, until Hisui said in a meek voice, "Yuya-dono, I … I apologize. I spoke out of turn."

I sighed, massaging my temples as my skull pounded like a taiko - honestly, did men emit an aura or something that made women's heads ache so much? "You were only trying to help, Hisui-kun," I said, "Though you really ought to choose your battles a little more wisely before stepping in like that." Oh, the sweet irony of me, Shiina Yuya, Off-the-Cuff-Mindless-Arguer-Extraordinaire, advising a kid to be careful when opening his mouth! I sighed again and got to my feet. Hisui immediately took a couple of the jars from my overcrowded arms and we made our way to the apothecary without further incident.

* * *

_'Hm, Yukimura wasn't kidding when he said these falls were beautiful,_' I thought, pausing to catch my breath as I stared up at the white foaming cascades above me. The falls emptied into a seemingly fathomless yet crystal clear pool, which I was currently trying to cross on a "bridge" of incredibly slippery moss-and-lichen covered stones. I recognized a couple of specimens that Taka-sensei had taught me were ideal for treating burns and suppurating wounds, but there was no way I could have them collected, dried, and prepared before tomorrow. _'With any luck, we'll not be needing any of the medicines Hisui and I spent so much time on this morning,_' I half-prayed. 

Bits and pieces of the conversation I'd had with Hisui in the apothecary floated up like the leaves that danced on the surface of the pool at my feet before disappearing over the next waterfall.

_"Yuya-dono?"_

_"Hm?"_

_The rhythmic rasping _crunch-crunch _of the grinding wheel paused as Hisui gathered his thoughts (or his courage). "Am I… a burden?"_

_I almost singed my finger tips on the narrow flame I had been using to adhere the sleeping potion to my needles. "What on earth makes you say that?" I demanded._

_Hisui bowed his head. "This morning, when I spoke so foolishly… no, even before then… I have caused discord between you and Kyo-dono. He considers me as I would a thorn in my sandal, does he not?"_

_"Well…" As miserable as he seemed, there was no point in trying to make mochi out of millet and vinegar. "Yes, I wouldn't say Kyo's fond of you. But then, he's not the type to be friendly with anyone at first." _'If ever,'_ I added to myself. "Give him time. Best thing you can do is to stay out of his way as much as possible."_

_"But, he is taking up my quest; how am I to accomplish such a thing?" Hisui asked somewhat plaintively._

_He had me there. "Try, all the same. Think of Kyo like a mean, hungry tiger, or something - the wrong thing at the wrong time will set him off, and the result won't be pretty." I was trying to be funny, to set him at ease, and I'll admit the mental image of Kyo with tiger stripes and a tail made me giggle inwardly._

_Unfortunately, Hisui didn't seem to appreciate the joke. "Is Kyo-dono truly so disagreeable?" he said softly, almost to himself as he returned to grinding. His face was pinched in an anxious frown. "Why, of all the warriors in the world, was he chosen to fight for it?"_

_"Probably because he's the best and the strongest," I said matter-of-factly, "No matter who the enemy is, Kyo is not the type to quit and run away. He'll fight as long as there is breath in his body, if the fight's worth it."_

_Hisui seemed surprised by my answer. "And saving the world… to a man like Kyo-dono, is that a worthy fight?" he asked after a moment._

_"I… I honestly can't answer that question, Hisui-kun," I replied, "All the same, give him a chance. You have confidence in your vision, don't you?"_

_"Yes!" he said immediately, eagerly._

_"Well, then…" I smiled triumphantly, "Have the same confidence in Kyo. And yourself, you're a lot stronger than you think you are…"_

"I'm not asking for much," I told my rippling reflection in the water, "I just want them to work together without causing me headaches." Hisui was suffering from a lack of faith, in himself at the very least. Granted, he was very young and sheltered; _too_ young and sheltered, in my opinion. Migeira must have been insane, taking him on such a dangerous journey. Kyo, on the other hand… if my earlier notion hadn't been a passing moment of insanity, he probably just didn't know how to deal with someone like Hisui.

It would be best if I took my own advice and watched my step around Kyo, but then, that's not really my style.

Yukimura had suggested the falls beyond the temple as an excellent place for a relaxing walk after the hours I had spent in the apothecary. If I just happened to stumble onto Kyo along the way, so be it. Besides, it was getting late - the sun would be setting in less than an hour, and it would be rude if he missed the farewell dinner Yukimura hinted was on the agenda.

"Yosha!" I breathed as I stepped down onto dry, solid earth. Even if it was summer, evenings on top of a mountain are cool enough without dunkings into ice-cold pools.

**_Ka-BOOM!_**

"Augh!" I almost fell over backwards, both from the suddenness of the explosion and the shock wave that followed it. Still, I recognized the aftermath of a Mizuchi attack when I tripped over one. At least I had found Kyo, but I didn't appreciate being nearly scared to death. Temper on medium boil, I thrust my way through the thick tangled hedge in front of me - oh, was I going to give him a piece of my mind when I found him!

"Kyo! Grrrrr… Kyo, where are you?" I demanded. My hair and my kimono snagged on thorns hidden within the vines and bushes; it did not improve my annoyance in the least.

"Look what I found." I stopped struggling at the sound of his deep voice, rumbling with sarcastic humor. And there was the object of my search, peering down at me through an opening in the branches and grinning hugely at my discomfort. "A loud-mouthed rabbit who's gotten herself tangled up."

"Shut up and help me get out of here," I managed through clenched teeth.

"Give me a reason," he replied, still smirking.

I really, really, _really_ wished glares could fry people on the spot, or at least cause them dire pain. "Fine, I can do it myself!" After a little more thrashing, a lot of swearing, and a good rip on my left kimono sleeve, I finally pulled myself out of the blasted thorns.

I don't think I've wanted to kill anyone more than just then.

"Keep frowning like that and you'll give yourself wrinkles," Kyo informed me.

_'Must… resist… urge… to… maim…'_ "What the hell do you think you're doing, firing off a Mizuchi like that?" I berated him, "You scared me half to death! I could have fallen into the pool and gotten hypothermia!"

"Didn't know you were there," he said dismissively.

"Right, and I'm the Merciful Goddess descended from Heaven," I muttered sarcastically, examining my torn sleeve and feeling extremely Put Out.

Kyo turned and started walking away from me. "Hey!" I called after him, "I'm not done with you yet!"

He paused, looking over his shoulder with an expression of boredom. "If you came all the way out here to nag me, you could have saved yourself the trip," he said, "It's not like I wasn't going to come back."

It's silly, but just the way he said it, so cold and mockingly, I couldn't help the same sudden sensation of defeated emptiness I had felt when Yukimura suggested Kyo wanted to leave me on Kudoyama. _'Would he do it again, leave me behind?'_ "Right…" I agreed softly, "Um… sorry." Kyo didn't say anything, so I plowed on, trying to recover my lost momentum. "Listen, Kyo, I was wondering if…" I was going to ask him about going a little easier on Hisui, but I was suddenly distracted by the sight of the destruction that surrounding us. Apparently, that Mizuchi hadn't been the only one. Trees, bushes, even boulders looked they had been tossed around by a particularly violent oni. Judging from the scorched earth that radiated in several directions as far as the eye could see, he'd been letting loose some pretty impressive Suzaku in the bargain. "…What the hell have you been doing here! Were you trying to set the mountain on fire or something?"

Kyo rolled his eyes. Before he could start walking away again, I grabbed him by the arm and yanked open his kimono. "My, the rabbit's eager today, isn't she?" he asked.

"Quit being a pervert, I just want to make sure your wound hasn't reopened because you were screwing around!" I snapped at him, scanning the bandage swathing his chest for any tell-tale red flecks, "How about your leg? I was going to take the stitches out of it tonight, but if you've gone and torn them…"

His hand clamped down heavily on my shoulder, prying me off of him and holding me at bay. "Kyo!" I protested angrily, "Tomorrow we might face more of those demons and I have to know that you're all right!"

"I don't recall asking you to take care of me," he said lowly, "And I certainly didn't ask you to determine my limits for me."

"I wasn't…!" For crying out loud, all of our "conversations" of late seemed to circle back to the same old tired theme – the second I tried to show one ounce of concern for Kyo, he took it as a personal insult! Of course, he'd always been like that, but this time, it wasn't something I could just allow him to shrug off like it was nothing. "Kyo…" _'Deep breaths, girl, try and calm down…'_ "Humor me, just this once, ne?" I asked, smiling wryly and laying my head against his arm, "I promise, from now on, I won't nag you or even try to keep you from hurting yourself if you just let me take make sure you're all right."

"You mean, you'd give up your favorite pastime of trying to tell me what to do?" Kyo asked sarcastically.

"That's not my 'favorite pastime,' jerk!" I snorted, "You have no idea what my favorite pastime is!"

"Can I guess?" Kyo grinned wickedly and whispered something in my ear that made my cheeks flame bright red.

"We only did that one time, you pervert, and only because you didn't say anything about the…!" I couldn't continue, mainly because I was too embarrassed, but also because Kyo was watching me with amusement.

I swear, pissing me off and/or embarrassing me are _his_ favorite pastimes!

"So…" I coughed, pretending the last two minutes didn't happen, "Are you going to let me check your wounds or are we going to have to stand out here all night?" The sun was already turning the western sky fiery red and the shadows around us were closing in.

"Whatever…" He finally let go of my shoulder.

Keeping my triumph to myself, I only observed, "There's no point in staying out here; all my stuff is back at the guest house anyway, so I'll check on you after dinner." I hadn't seen any blood on the bandages around his chest, so there was no immediate cause for worry.

Kyo gave me a Look that clearly read, "Well then, what was all the fuss about?"

Smiling to myself, I took his hand and started walking back toward the path I had forced through the brambles. Kyo pulled me toward a clear trail farther down that was wide enough for the two of us to walk through comfortably (I would have noticed it before if I hadn't been so bent on strangling Kyo).

"Ne, Kyo?" I spoke up as I started crossing the pool in front of him, "You _have_ agreed to help Hisui-kun, right?"

When he didn't answer, I stopped to look back at him.

"If that's what you want to believe, fine by me," he said indifferently, looking off toward the falls.

"So, it's the fight and not the end of the fight you're thinking about," I said, mostly to myself. Did it really make that much of a difference? So long as Kyo went along with Hisui's vision, the end result would be the same, right? The threat would be eliminated and life would go on like normal (well, as normal as life ever got with Kyo around, at least…).

But then why was it that I got a sinking feeling in my stomach as I looked at Kyo, with the shadows steadily concealing his face from me?

* * *

"Take care everyone!" Yukimura bid us all an enthusiastic farewell, gleefully hugging Sasuke good-bye so hard I swear Sasuke suffered a couple bruised ribs. Kousuke and Saizo were also there to hand off some useful supplies and wish us a safe journey. 

"Yuya-san, you're breaking my heart, leaving me like this," Yukimura said quietly as he helped me pull my newly re-stocked medicine chest onto my back.

"Somehow I doubt that, Yukimura-san," I said mildly, biting down on the urge to start yelling at him, "You knew I wouldn't have accepted your offer in the first place."

"Perhaps," Yukimura cheerfully allowed, "You aren't one to give way once you set your mind on something. Please remember to keep your mind on Kyo-san, ne?"

I stiffened, thinking he was making fun of me again. But when met his eyes, I could see that he was being completely serious despite his careless manner. "I will, you can bet on that," I assured him.

He nodded. "Thank you, Yuya-san." He smiled brilliantly at Kyo, who had loomed up behind him so quietly I hadn't noticed.

"Please don't give Sasuke-kun too much trouble, Kyo-san," he purred, "He has enough problems taking care of me."

Kyo shrugged, but there was a tension between the two of them I hadn't noticed before. "I'm not his babysitter. You should be lecturing him, not me."

Yukimura took it in stride. "Ne, Kyo-san, I was just trying to be your friend," he teased, "I only offered some friendly advice."

"Tch - I've had my fill of that lately," Kyo snorted, his gaze flicking momentarily to me.

"Some things never change, I suppose," sighed Yukimura, leaning his cheek against his hand almost flirtatiously, "All the same…"

I _really_ wish I could figure out just what it was they had talked about during their duel; apparently Hisui hadn't been the only person to set Kyo on edge lately.

Sasuke led us down the mountain on a trail that was mercifully gentle compared to the one we had used the other day. No one talked, which wasn't all that unusual, but there was a thick feel to the air that wasn't just the humidity that was gathering as the sun rose. I was about to ask Sasuke about his trip to Osaka when he, Kyo and Migeira came to a sudden halt. Instinctively, I grabbed Hisui, pulling him close to me into the middle of the group.

"How long were you planning to follow us?" Sasuke challenged the empty air, looking back the way we had come.

There was a pause, and then Mahiro seemed to materialize in the middle of the trail. Her gazed flicked over every person in the group, resting momentarily on Kyo before she spoke to Sasuke. "What did you expect of me?" she asked, "I see Onime no Kyo and Migeira, a former wielder of a Muramasa, in the company of Sarutobi Sasuke of the Sanada Jyuuyushi for reasons I do not know. It is my duty as an Iga kunoichi to investigate."

"Maybe," Sasuke allowed, "But if you're going to investigate, you'd better be more careful at not letting us detect you."

Mahiro's eyes narrowed; she was plainly irked at being found out.

"Consider this a warning," Sasuke continued, "Turn around now and go back to the idiot you call your master - tell him to keep his nose out of other people's business if he doesn't want it cut off."

"I serve Tokugawa Hidetada-sama and no one else," Mahiro said stiffly, "Even you can't order me around, Sarutobi Sasuke."

Sasuke quirked an eyebrow, his face otherwise deadpan - I had a feeling things could get really nasty really quickly. Anxiously, I looked over at Kyo, since out of anyone, Mahiro would listen to him. Probably.

"Mahiro-dono…"

I started, looking down at Hisui.

"Mahiro-dono," he repeated firmly, gently disengaging himself from my hold, "Does my word mean so little to you?"

_'Eh?'_ I wasn't the only one gaping at him in astonishment - Kyo and Sasuke looked at least as surprised as I felt, while Migeira looked like he'd been cracked over the head with his own shakujou.

Mahiro looked extremely uncomfortable. "You must understand my position, Hisui-sama," she replied with such deference I stopped gaping at Hisui to stare at her, "Even if _I_ can accept everything you have told me, I cannot ask my master to do the same. You ask the impossible of me."

"I do not, Mahiro-dono," Hisui riposted, still sounding abjectly polite despite the rebuke, "What I told you, it is undoubtedly the truth."

"But…"

"Your liege places more trust in you than you seem to place in yourself, Mahiro-dono. Perhaps that is why you doubt."

Mahiro blinked; suddenly, she smiled slightly, her eyes softening with all-too unaccustomed warmth as she regarded Hisui. "Did you ever stop to consider that _you_ might place too much faith in _me_, Hisui-sama?"

"Never," said Hisui with a shake of his head, "I do not even have to rely on my sight to see the measure of your spirit."

Mahiro's smile widened and she laughed, softly. "You really know how to flatter a girl, don't you? Very well - I don't envy you the task you've set for yourself. I have it far easier in comparison."

"Perhaps; will you bid us to leave you now, freely?"

"All right." The smile dissolved into perfect reticence. "Come back alive, all of you," she said to us, "Or Hidetada-sama will never forgive me."

For some reason, she seemed to look especially hard at me before she vanished.

"Hisui…" Migeira began in a somewhat strangled voice after a moment.

"I took what course of action I thought best, Migeira-oji-sama," Hisui interrupted, in almost the same tone he had used with Mahiro, "She had to know. Her lord _must_ know, or we risk acquiring enemies we do not need."

"Nevertheless," Migeira said sternly, "It is a matter we shall discuss. Later."

"Yes, Migeira-oji-sama," Hisui assented.

Personally, having gotten over my surprise at Hisui addressing Mahiro with such authority, I thought Migeira was being rather severe; the kid _had_ managed to send Mahiro off without conflict simply by saying he trusted her. With what, I wasn't all that certain, but I could guess. Besides, I trusted Mahiro, too.

* * *

Evening was deepening the shadows to dusky purple and I was looking forward to setting up camp and getting some sleep. We'd been traveling along Kudoyama's foothills since early afternoon, avoiding main roads whenever we could. Thanks to Sasuke's lead, I think we made pretty good time, but even more importantly, there had been no signs of pursuit, demonic or otherwise. 

"So, what is it we're looking for exactly?" I asked somewhat drowsily, stifling a yawn. Pine needles lay in a thick carpet all around our feet, muffling our steps as we walked (not that Sasuke or Kyo really needed the help); they also hid the mass of knobby roots the radiated from the trees surrounding us, and I was starting to trip up more than a few times. Yep, definitely bed-time.

"The dwelling of a hermit the roshi of the temple told me about," Migeira replied, somewhat impatiently, "Gokuro-sama alluded to the man's impressive spiritual power and said that he may have sutras or holy devices that would be most helpful against our foes."

"He's also supposed to be completely insane," Sasuke interjected helpfully, "But maybe that's just a rumor."

I frowned. I had enough crazy people in my life already, and I didn't want to meet another one - until I'd had some decent sleep, at least. "Is it really that important that we find him, today? Can't we look for him tomorrow?" Okay, I'll admit it, I was starting to sound whiny, but I was nearing exhaustion.

"We've already gone far enough out of the way," Sasuke told me sharply, "We must be within three _li _of the coast by tomorrow, and stopping now will mean we've wasted half a day's travel for nothing. Complain the monk if you're going whine to anyone about this."

Migeira made a soft huffing noise, and said, "I have already told you that I shall not take any more time than is absolutely necessary - I believe you over-exaggerate the severity situation."

_'Greeeeeaaaat… as if my feet killing me and my head pounding and feeling like I'm going to fall asleep where I stand or hurl at any minute wasn't bad enough, now I have to deal with a pack of snarky males sniping at each other,'_ I added to my internal litany of complaints. But I was being uncharitable - Hisui wasn't joining in, and Kyo was staying above it simply by ignoring the fact that the rest of us existed.

Which was also starting to piss me off, come to think of it.

Hisui gasped softly and stopped dead in his tracks. "Oji-sama…" he managed in a somewhat strangled voice. His eyes had gone wide as if staring into a far-off distance.

Migeira looked at him, his eyes widening slightly also. "I see," he said, going back to where Hisui was standing. His attention (and Hisui's) was focused on the space between two twisted pine trunks, remnants either of fire or lightning strike. As far as I could tell, they were staring at empty air, but Hisui and Migeira seemed pretty excited about it as they conferred for several minutes in low, hurried voices.

Sasuke and Kyo were beginning to look irritated when Migeira finally turned to us. "Here," he said, gesturing at the rock face, "We've arrived."

"I thought the other monk was supposed to be the crazy one," Sasuke noted flatly. I silently seconded the observation (no, I wasn't feeling cranky in the least.)

Migeira quirked an eyebrow at him, but instead of retorting, he turned back to the empty air that had excited him and Hisui so much. Muttering what sounded like a sutra under his breath, he raised his shakujou. "May the holy radiance of Buddha unveil before us the True Path," he intoned in a clear voice, bringing it across his body on a wide sweeping motion.

The air… dissolved, shadows shifting into solid shapes where nothing had been before, revealing a clearing with a small, run-down shack that at one time might have been a shrine at its far end. "An illusion, to keep out unwanted visitors," Migeira explained unnecessarily.

"There is also a trap laid, a barrier against unclean things," Hisui added, sounding uneasy for some reason, "I believe it wisest that Migeira-oji-sama or I go first."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kyo sneered, "Are you trying to say that the rest of us aren't worthy?"

Hisui shook his head. "No," he replied, "It is a standard warding spell, found on the perimeters or most temples and holy places, but…" He stared at the shack, biting his lower lip nervously. As for myself, I'd never seen a place more likely to be haunted; naturally, the sun chose that exact moment to disappear behind the mountains, plunging everything into near-complete darkness. _'Greeeeeeaaaat…'_

"I do not know," Hisui said after a moment, "This barrier is stronger than most, which would speak to the houriki of the hermit, but… there is something in its nature..."

"Maybe he just likes having his peace and quiet," I suggested, trying my hardest not to sound nervous, "But we didn't come all this way to stand on the guy's front porch, right?"

"Certainly not," said Migeira, "Hisui and I shall lead - there should be nothing to concern yourselves with."

I'd had to have been a complete idiot not to notice how he held out his shakujou in front of him as though he was expecting a blow at any second, or how Sasuke and Kyo had partially unsheathed their swords.

We had almost reached the bottom step of the decrepit shrine when Migeira abruptly held up his hand to halt us.

"Who approaches?" an ancient, shrill voice queried from behind the worn shoji, "If you are bandits, there is nothing of value here; if you are seekers of enlightenment, you are welcome."

_'He certainly doesn't _sound_ insane_,' I thought, knowing that didn't really mean a thing.

"Worthy hermit," Migeira replied in a loud but respectful voice, "We are indeed five travelers have journeyed day and night in search of enlightenment, and would hear your wisdom and teachings to aid our quest."

"Enlightenment, my ass," Kyo snorted. I shoved my elbow into his side.

The shoji slid open with a violent screech of warped wood on warped wood, and a man who looked like he had been alive when Honen first began preaching tottered out onto the loudly creaking porch, supported by a thick staff of gnarled wood. Rheumy, almost solidly white eyes fixed on us blearily, though I doubt the monk could see much in the wan light of the rising moon and the dying firelight spilling out from the interior of the shrine.

"Ah, Amida Buddha-sama, what strange guests you have delivered to my doorstep tonight," he mumbled, "An impatient sohei, a youngling shin-gon-guji, an incarnation of Tarani Bosatsu, a small oni with gold fire gaze, and a large oni with blood-burning eyes."

Well, maybe he wasn't as blind as I thought; being called a bodhisattva was rather flattering. I could tell everyone else was as surprised as I.

"Worthy hermit…" Migeira began.

The hermit held up a hand. "Gokuro-sama has sent you to find me, but not because he thinks I can teach you more than he," he interrupted, "I believe I have something you want, yes?"

"You have a most discerning mind, worthy hermit," replied Migeira.

"Hm… my name is Isara, sohei-kun; where's you're niginata?" He gestured toward Migeira's shakujou. "Or are you hiding out from Oda Nobunaga's sohei-killers? My hut is not an ideal sanctuary, though I would be remiss if I turned a brother away."

"Er…" Migeira, understandably, was a little put off.

"Ano… Isara-sama, Oda Nobunaga has been dead many years," Hisui said bravely, "The sohei of Mt. Hiei have also died or been scattered to the four winds. My uncle is an adherent of Eisai-sama."

"Eh?" The hermit, Isara, frowned at Hisui, "Are you certain?"

"Pretty sure," Sasuke affirmed.

"Oh. Well, you can come in anyway. No sense in having you sleep out in the forest as long as you're here." He turned into the shrine, obviously expecting us to follow.

"A senile monk who'll probably croak any second - you've certainly chosen the perfect advisor for us, Migeira," Kyo said as he climbed the creaking steps.

I admired Migeira's ability to hold back on his retort - he probably thought shedding blood on a hermit's doorstep would be rude.

The hermit was shuffling about the back room of the shrine, muttering to himself as we crowded in. I immediately drew back in disgust as I saw a couple of rats scurry into a hole in the floor on the other side of the dying firepit, squeaking raucously. The floor itself might have originally been pine or oak, not that you could tell from the accumulated decades of filth encrusting it.

"Sit down, sit down!" the hermit called over the clattering of what might have been earthenware, a bronze gong, and firewood, "No need to be shy!"

Kyo and Sasuke sat down, katana placed against their shoulders for immediate action, but I could tell from Kyo's expression he was finding this all to be one big joke. Hisui whipped a swatch of clean cloth from somewhere in his haori and hastily scrubbed out a clean patch of the floor for me to sit down on. I thanked him with a smile that he returned.

"Ano, Migeira-san…" I ventured cautiously in a whisper, "Do you really think he can help us?"

"Depends, young lady." I jumped as a cup of barley tea in a chipped clay cup was plunked down in front of me. "Are you willing to accept help from a crazy old man?" He grinned at me, showing off a mouthful of badly-worn teeth.

"Ummm…" For some reason, meeting his gaze made me uncomfortable. I suppose my tolerance for people with eccentric quirks was lower than I thought. I forced myself to smile back politely. "We will accept any help you give us, Isara-sama."

"Hm." The hermit finished passing out the teacups before sitting down on the tattered cushion on the other side of the firepit. "Let me guess what you're here for, sohei-kun," he said to Migeira, "I have in my possession a sacred sutra, as well as a reliquary that supposedly increases the houriki of its possessor tenfold. You wish to borrow these, yes?"

He was a lot more direct than most senile people I've known. "You have discerned my purpose immediately," Migeira said in relief, "I of course do not ask that you relinquish such treasures lightly. We have grave need of them."

"I imagine you do," Isara replied in a strange voice, "But what if I were to tell you that you could not have them?"

Migeira paused, caught off-guard. "I understand they are precious to you, Isara-sama, but please - they are needed in the wider world to fend off a great evil. We would be a greater disadvantage then we are now if you do not help us."

Isara shrugged. "I am a hermit, young sohei, thus I do not truly care what takes place in the wider world. Have you ever considered that perhaps this "evil" you speak of is the will of Buddha? What right have you, or any of you, to contest this will? Struggling, fighting - they only lead to needless suffering and death."

I wanted to yell at him, tell him he was wrong, say that there were times when fighting was not only right, but the only action you could take. I wanted to tell him I didn't believe in fate that could not be changed by willpower - I knew too many people who had changed their own destinies. But my voice died in my throat, and my body felt too heavy to move. A little voice begged the question, _'What if he's right? What if it's nonsense to fight against what's coming? You're too small and too weak to fight fate.'_

"It is best to simply let happen what must happen. The weight of your very existence drags you down, since in this world, lacking of virtue, your suffering is your own, and can never be relieved except in death." The hermit's litany continued, words falling heavier and heavier on my ears. I struggled to look around, to see why no one else was protesting. Migeira looked dumbstruck, but for whatever reason, I thought his eyes looked peculiarly flat… almost dead…

"Even if you should fight, do you think it will change the world? The very nature of mankind is toward destruction and cruelty. It is best to simply withdraw, to cut yourself off from the struggle, to sink into the shadowed comfort of the self."

Hisui's head was bowed, his bangs shadowing his eyes, his shoulders slumped. Sasuke was staring into the fire, as if completely absorbed by it, his hand slack on the saya of his katana. And Kyo…_ 'Why die for this madness? You can't do anything, you have to depend on others to fight your battles. You don't even know if you can trust Hisui or Migeira or Sasuke or Kyo…'_ Right then, I knew the voice was lying, had been lying this whole time, that it hadn't been my voice at all. _'I trust Kyo! I trust Kyo with my life!'_ But the voice droned on, _'You don't know that, you don't know that for sure, you'll be abandoned again…'_

_**"SHUT UP!"**_

At first I thought the yell had only been in my mind, one final, feeble attempt to fend off the deadening cold of despair.

But it was Kyo.

I heard Tenro sing from its saya as Kyo's voice faded into a growl. Suddenly, I could move again, my hands fumbling and numb as I retrieved my needles, as though I had just woken up from a deep sleep. Migeira, Sasuke, and Hisui had likewise snapped from their enchanted stupor, the former two with their respective weapons at the ready.

"Ohohoho… You're not so easily defeated, then. I almost had you, even you, Onime no Kyo," chuckled the monk, the reedy shrill of his voice becoming a chilling, harsh whisper, like his vocal chords were freezing in his throat. His mouth contorted into a wide and gaping maw, while his eyes faded from white to total darkness that consumed even the flickering light of the flames.

The air around my body went cold and grew heavy, an oppressive lead weight that threatened to drag me down into the floor.

"Demon…" I gasped, and realized I had just uttered the understatement of the century.

* * *

**Music for this Chapter:**

Beethoven's _Symphony No. 6 in F major, op. 68 ,"The Pastoral"

* * *

_

**Preview of Next Chapter: _Moresca _**(because all of you are so patient and deserve it…)

"But that's a gai-jin ship!" I pointed out.

"Obviously," replied Sasuke, "Why else do you think I'm having you dress like that?"

-0-0-0-

"I appreciate your concern, Hisui-kun, really," I said, trying to keep the exasperation from my voice, "but you don't need to spend every waking moment looking after me. I'm a big girl, you know."

"Ah, yes, Yuya-dono, it is as you say," Hisui replied, looking flustered, "but, ah… forgive me, I am concerned for your condition, and I do not wish you to…"

"'My condition'?" I echoed, starting to get irked despite my best efforts, "Hisui-kun, for the last time, I had sea-sickness. Now that we're on dry land, I doubt very much I'm going to have to worry about it."

"But, Yuya-dono, I was not referring to your sea-sickness!" Hisui protested uncomfortably, "I was talking about your…" He trailed off, biting his lips as he stared at me.

"My… what, Hisui-kun?" I was at the tail-end of my patience. "If you don't think I'm strong enough to come with you and the others to find Akira-san and Hotaru-san, spit it out!"

-0-0-0-

I looked from Kyo to Akira and back. "If it's the only way, I suppose," I said, ignoring Hisui's cry of protest, "you'd better do it."

"Like you could have stopped me," Kyo snorted.

I raised an eyebrow. "Just try not to be stupid…"

* * *

**Dictionary:**

_Hyuuga, Higo_ – Names of feudal provinces during the SDK storyline. Hyuuga is now Miyazaki prefecture, while Higo became Kumamoto. Both are located on the island of Kyuushuu.

_Kyuushuu_ – (more often spelt "Kyushu" in Western texts) Kyuushuu is the third largest island of Japan and most southerly and westerly of the four main islands.

"_make mochi out of millet and vinegar"_ – "mochi" are sweet cakes, most often made from a special rice flour. This is not an actual Japanese saying, but I wanted Yuya to say something that was somewhat appropriate to Japanese culture!

_Sohei, sohei of Mt. Hiei_ – Sohei were warrior monks of the Tendai Buddhist sect in Japan that grew in power from the Heien era on. They became so strong that they could coerce daimyo to obey them. Oda Nobunaga, fed up with their resistance to his efforts to unify Japan, dispatched special forces to take out their strongholds. The last holdout of the sohei was the temple of Enryaku-ji on _Mount Hie_, which Nobunaga razed to the ground in 1571, effectively ending the sohei as a significant military and political force in Japan. Mt. Hiei lies northeast of Kyoto, on the border between the Kyoto and Shiga prefectures.

_Tarani Bosatsu _– A bodhisattva (Buddhist equivalent of "saint" or "divine being") who in Japanese tradition holds a pomegranate (symbol of prosperity) and a lotus, and is normally depicted in pale green color. Tarani is not well known, and springs from the tradition of the female cult in India (where Buddhism originated) dating back before the 11th century.

_Niginata_ – The bladed staff-weapon of choice for sohei. If you want an idea of what it looks like, check out SDK manga volume 17 – Saisei (aka Tomoe Gozen) wields a _huge _niginata.

* * *

**_Sources:_** Wikipedia, Encyclopedia Britannica. I would put in all the other webistes, but since this site edits those out... 

Salute!


End file.
